Monday, September 28, 2009

TEST MATCH CAPS CONFUSION


It is indeed a decision that will further irk the national players. For the Malaysian Hockey Federation has agreed with the decision by Yayasan Hoki Malaysia not to include Test Matches as part of the culmnation of international caps earned by the players.

In the past official Test Matches were considered as caps and could be included in the total number of caps earned for the benefit of claiming the retirement fund from Yayasan Hoki Malaysia, a body formed thanks to the brain child of former MHF Deputy President Tan Sri P. Alagendra.

However it is now learnt that the Test Matches cannot be included and this was also agreed upon by the MHF representative in the Yayasan Hoki Board last year.

The revelation came about when a former international wrote to MHF for his retirement benefits and received a form that clearly stated that Test Matches are not to be included in the final tally of matches he represented the nation in.

This is contrary to what was practised earlier as the players had included the Test Matches and players in the likes of Mirnawan Nawawi and Nor Saiful Zaini collected RM50,000, the maximum allowed, for having more then 300 caps.

The question now is, when was the decision made and has MHF discussed it before their representative agreed to the proposal at the Yayasan Hoki Board Meeting?

Above all, are all the national players plus management, including coaches, aware of such a rule and just how many players will lose out on their caps?