KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh is impressed with the physical conditioning of his players following the fitness programmes conducted by Kim Sang-ryul.
Sarjit enlisted the help of 69-year-old Sang-ryul, widely regarded as one of the world’s top hockey coaches, to oversee the team’s fitness programmes over the past month.
The decision to heavily prioritise the programme stems from Malaysia’s underwhelming performance in recent tournaments – the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, the Nations Cup, and the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) – since Sarjit’s appointment in March.
Physical fitness issues were a key factor in the team’s struggles. Malaysia finished fourth at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May and seventh at the Nations Cup in June.
The problem was glaringly evident in July, when the team suffered a crushing 10-1 defeat to Germany in a friendly, and hit a new low by finishing last in the six-team ACT tournament.
Speaking to Scoop, Sarjit thanked Sang-ryul for his contributions and expressed optimism about his players applying what they have learned in 2025.
“It has been a great fitness programme for the players under Sang-ryul, as he taught many techniques such as making quick reflexes during interval gaps and improving their decision-making on the turf.
“The players had no issues adapting to the fitness programmes, and they look fitter than before. Now, it’s time for them to go through a few more training sessions, and they will be 100% ready.
“With the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) around the corner, I also hope they can maintain their fitness after their club duties and return to the national team without any injuries, to be ready for tournaments,” Sarjit said when contacted.
Sarjit also revealed plans to discuss friendlies and overseas tours with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) once the International Hockey Federation (FIH) finalises its tournament calendars.
For now, the FIH has yet to confirm schedules for next year’s Nations Cup and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
“I will have a discussion with the MHC once everything has been finalised. Of course, we will focus on sending the team for some quality matches to help them improve in 2025,” Sarjit added. — December 27, 2025