A WIN, BUT WHERE ARE WE HEADED MHC?

Malaysia defeated Sri Lanka 7-0 at the Junior Asia Cup in Bangkok this evening.

And they have a huge task ahead of them if they harbour hopes of making it into the semi finals and try to wrest one of the three spots available for Asia for the World Cup proper next year.

There was no doubt that Malaysia would win their match against Sri Lanka despite the fact that Sri Lanka had defeated Singapore 3-2 on Saturday, a match that saw really low umpiring standards.

Having defeated Singapore 7-0 in their opening match, Malaysia succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to China, not because of the want of trying but due to the fact that China were a class above and will continue to remain so if MHC keep getting their priorities wrong.

Malaysia will find it a daunting task to defeat India, but if there is any consolation to them, it has to be the fact that India were outclassed by the superiority of the Chinese, conceding soft opening three goals in a match that I watched till halftime.

Malaysia had a dream start in their match against Sri Lanka with  Norazlin Sumantri converting a penalty stroke in the very first minute.

The goal avalanche did not occur though as Malaysia opted to playing safe and conserving energy for the deciding match against India on Tuesday.

Still despite wasting a hatful of chances,Malaysia scored another six goals through the efforts of Nurul Nabiha Mansor ( 5th and 43rd minutes), Norazlin ( 34th minute), Raja Nursharin Raja Shabuddin ( 23rd minute), Nurain HidayahHasri ( 41st minute) and Nurul Safiqah Mat Isa (49th minute).

It could have been eight had it not been for poor umpiring of the two umpires from India and Pakistan (pictured below) who both missed a bloody clean goal scored by Norazlin which went through a hole in the net, a shameful verdict when all at the stadium clearly saw the ball going in.

For Malaysia it is clear that despite all the hood winking or wool over the eyes of FIH with the so called merger of the MHF and MWHA, the women continue to be the step child in the marriage of convenience.

How would then the learned men of MHC explain the training conditions of the women junior squad who were due to lack of financial support, forced to train on a worn and deplorable pitch at the Bandar Penawar Sports School?

Do we blame the school authorities for producing national players for both the men and women national senior as well as junior squads on a pitch that readers can view as in the picture below.

Women's hockey has a future and it may not just remain a dream for us to play in the Junior World Cup someday. This team has players who can play in the next qualifiers as well, but just how serious will the MHC and NSC be about it.

These girls do not ask for the sky, all they seek is decent preparation and not pittance of RM150 as allowance where the men get seven times more for merely winning a match.

All they seek is a chance to be heard, a chance to prove their worth, a chance to put women's hockey on the map as was the case in the 70's and mid 80's.

Is that asking too much? Perhaps it is as no MHC officials went on a junket to give this team moral support, and the states are just waiting for them to fail so that they can be back playing Sukma.

You have lost the plot MHC, and it's a shame that you did nothing to help a team of fighters, a team that shows conviction on the pitch, a team that gives all they can when donning Malaysian colours.

I speak with authority as I was there to watch them play, and that is more then what you 56 council members did.

Results:

Day Five

Japan vs Korea (2:2)
Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (0:7)
India vs China (2:5)
Pakistan vs Thailand (0:2)