KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) will not hesitate to ban players from playing for the national team if they prioritise their club commitments over national team duties.
The governing body’s response follows speculation that some players may opt out of the national indoor hockey team’s preparations for the 2025 World Cup after receiving instructions from their employers to stay and train with their clubs ahead of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) next year.
For the record, the MHL, scheduled to run from January 4 to February 25, will overlap with the national indoor team’s preparations for the World Cup, which is set to take place in Croatia from February 3 to 9.
It is understood that several players in the national indoor team also play for clubs in the MHL.
MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said that national indoor team players should prioritise preparations for the World Cup over participating in the MHL.
“The World Cup is just around the corner, so players who are part of the national team will not be allowed to take part in the MHL, and we are clear about this,” Subahan said during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium earlier today.
“This is not an issue. The players are well aware of this as they have been training intensively for the World Cup, and that should be their priority. They cannot simply claim they have to participate in the MHL just because their employers say so.
“We will address this by having a meeting with the MHL clubs and the national indoor team committee. We have been receiving less funding from the National Sports Council (NSC), which is widely known, but MHC has also been using its own funds to pay the monthly allowances of our national indoor players.
“So, playing for the country must be their top priority.
“If these players do not play for our national team, they will no longer have the opportunity to play in the MHL. I will ban them from representing the national indoor team,” Subahan said.
In the 2024 Men’s Indoor Asia Cup, which served as the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup, Malaysia was drawn in Pool B with Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Oman. The team was in excellent form, scoring a total of 30 goals to finish as runners-up. – November 25, 2024