KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh has confirmed that the Speedy Tigers will play friendly matches against New Zealand and South Africa in preparation for the Nations Cup.
The tournament, scheduled to kick off in Gniezno, Poland, from May 31 to June 9, will feature nine teams participating in two pools: Austria, South Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, France, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Poland.
A total of 20 players were chosen by the coach from a pool of 30 from his revamped side which recently competed in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and finished fourth.
The gaffer will announce his final 18-player squad for the Nations Cup after the Speedy Tigers’ friendly matches against world number 10 Black Sticks on May 27 and world number 14 Ama Stokke side on May 29.
Speaking to Scoop, Sarjit said that he is hoping for his young charges to settle down and also to get used to the pressure and intensity of participating in tournaments like the Nations Cup “so they can become immune to playing in more high-intensity tournaments in the future.”
“All my players have the potential, and I am in the process of moulding them for the future. They are all very well-disciplined and very committed to the team, intending to get better every day.
“The results we will be getting in the Nations Cup don’t matter to me as I’m more focused on forming a formidable side with the experiences we will gain in the next two years.
“We have already begun our training for the Nations Cup, and will be flying to Poland this Thursday. I will analyse my players’ performances in the next two friendlies before the tournament and finalise the 18 players,” said Sarjit when contacted.
The Speedy Tigers are grouped with Canada, France, and Pakistan in Pool B for the Nations Cup.
The champions of the Nations Cup will qualify for the FIH Pro League.
Sarjit, 61, was appointed head coach by the Malaysia Hockey Confederation on a two-year contract.
His main target is to build a formidable team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and lead the Speedy Tigers to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In addition to the Nations Cup, his team will participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled for September 8 to 17. – May 20, 2024