Latest news with #MalaysiaHockeyConfederation
New Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Speedy Tigers going through 'slow motion' again
KUALA LUMPUR: National men's hockey coach Sarjit Singh surely can't expect a "well done" rating in his Key Performance Index (KPI) after Malaysia's dismal show in the ongoing Nations Cup at Bukit Jalil. He has failed to get the Speedy Tigers up to speed since taking over the team in March last year. The former national captain, whose contract with the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) is until the 2026 Asian Games, has offered many reasons for his underperforming team. Sarjit said that he needs more time to build a team. But it has already been 15 months since he took charge of the Speedy Tigers. And Sarjit himself set the semi-final target for the Nations Cup, one which his men couldn't meet. Yet, after 15 months in charge of the national team, Sarjit said that his team still have a long way to go. "We have to be much better in our fitness. Japan and China are not good teams but their fitness is three times better. So if we improve our fitness three times, I think our team will be in the right direction," he said. Hosts Malaysia, powered by seven players with more than 100 caps, failed to advance to the last four from Group B, and were reduced to playing in the fifth to eighth classification. World No 13 Malaysia drew 3-3 with world No. 15 Pakistan and lost 4-3 to world No. 12 New Zealand before beating world No. 17 Japan in Group B. But this was not enough as Pakistan pipped Malaysia for a place in the semi-finals as Group B runners-up. These are the 18 best players we have in the country and they kept making the same mistakes of conceding goals due to poor focus. The standards and rankings of the eight teams competing in Nations Cup is close to one another, but yet the Speedy Tigers stumbled in their backyard. MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said he had given everything to the national players, and he was hoping they could match the other teams in the Nations Cup. But sadly, it turned out to be another letdown. Sarjit's first national assignment was the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last May where Malaysia finished fourth out of six teams. He set a semi-final target for the Nations Cup in Poland last June, but Malaysia finished seventh among nine teams. And Malaysia's target for the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China last September was top four, but the Speedy Tigers finished sixth and last. Sarjit also keeps saying "we are getting better" after failing to achieve the targets set by him. Hopefully, he is right. After missing the semi-finals, Sarjit now said that Malaysia's next target is fifth in the Nations Cup. That's a lower target but it seems tough too.
New Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Speedy Tigresses hold Liaoning in final China Tour friendly
KUALA LUMPUR: The Speedy Tigresses wrapped up their China tour with a 3-3 draw against Liaoning in their seventh and final friendly at the Gongshu Hockey Stadium on Saturday. World No. 23 Malaysia found the net through Nur Afiqh Syahzani Azhar, Khairunnisa Ayuni Sharuddin and Azmyra Mia Sofea Azhari. Nasihin Nubli's side, gearing up for the Nations Cup 2 in Poland from June 16-22, ended the series with one win (2-1), two draws (1-1 and 3-3) and three defeats (1-0, 3-1 and 2-0). The result of the third match, played on May 10, was not disclosed by the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC). Excluding the undisclosed result, the national women's team scored seven goals and conceded 11 in six matches. Liaoning, who are preparing for the China National Games, fielded a second-string side for most of the series due to national team call-ups.
