It will be a battle between youth and experience when the Project 2013 squad take on Malacca in the final of the 47th edition of the Tun Razak Cup.
The Project side have done well to make their final but will find it difficult to match the achievement of the National Juniors of 1979 who won the Razak Cup in Malacca, defeating Penang 2-0 in the final.
To be honest it was totally a different era we are talking about as those days the Razak Cup was the premier hockey tournament, of exceptionally high standard and the battles were robust but fairly contested.
Even the umpires those days had to go through a test of character as blowing a final at Malacca Club those days needed officials who were brave to withstand not only physical abuse but at times avoid stones as well.
Nothing of that sort is expected to happen at the Tun Razak Stadium as the Juniors should previal simply because they are superior in terms of fitness. Playing seven matches in eight days will take the toll on any team, more so of the state teams that are clearly ill prepared for the Razak Cup.
Malacca have players in the likes of Chua Boon Huat, Zaharin Zakaria, B. Namasivam and Nor Ikhram Sulaiman, players who can turn the match with one stroke of genius play. But do they have the fitness to last the pace or will they hope for rain to slow down the Juniors?
As for the Division Two final, it will be a battle between two generation of Malaysian coaches who will try to outwit each other.
The Project side have done well to make their final but will find it difficult to match the achievement of the National Juniors of 1979 who won the Razak Cup in Malacca, defeating Penang 2-0 in the final.
To be honest it was totally a different era we are talking about as those days the Razak Cup was the premier hockey tournament, of exceptionally high standard and the battles were robust but fairly contested.
Even the umpires those days had to go through a test of character as blowing a final at Malacca Club those days needed officials who were brave to withstand not only physical abuse but at times avoid stones as well.
Nothing of that sort is expected to happen at the Tun Razak Stadium as the Juniors should previal simply because they are superior in terms of fitness. Playing seven matches in eight days will take the toll on any team, more so of the state teams that are clearly ill prepared for the Razak Cup.
Malacca have players in the likes of Chua Boon Huat, Zaharin Zakaria, B. Namasivam and Nor Ikhram Sulaiman, players who can turn the match with one stroke of genius play. But do they have the fitness to last the pace or will they hope for rain to slow down the Juniors?
As for the Division Two final, it will be a battle between two generation of Malaysian coaches who will try to outwit each other.
Armed Forces have on their bench K. Rajan while Singapore are coached by Lim Chiow Chuan. The two teams were in the same pool in the preliminary round and the match ended in a 4-4 stalemate.
Forces will be out to grab the trophy ad with it a place in the top flight next year while for Singapore
RESULTS:
Division One
Malacca 0 Project 2013 0
Johor 6 Penang 1
Kuala Lumpur x Negri Sembilan x.
FIXTURES
Division One
Final
Project 2013 v Malacca
(Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two
Final
Armed Forces v Singapore (Tun Razak Stadium, 3pm).
