Sunday, March 31, 2013

SAPURA SHOCK TERENGGANU


Sapura pulled the rug from beneath Terengganu HT by coming for a goal down twice in the match to take all three points with a 4-2 win in the TNBMHL Premier Division at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
 
It was their first win having drawn two matches ( Nur Insafi and TNB) and lost the other to Maybank. And the fact that the win came barely 24 hours after having held Tenaga nasional Berhad to a 2-2 draw was more commendable.

KLHC SEVEN UP



KL Hockey Club gave its manager George Koshy a wonderful Good Friday and Easter as they consolidated their position at the top of the TNBMHL Premier Division with a thumping 7-0 win over Nur Insafi Warriors at the National Hockey Stadium.

The win gives them 10 points from four outings and just a point behind are Maybank who defeated UniKL 4-1 in a match played on the adjacent pitch.

www.tnbmhl.com.my

Saturday, March 30, 2013

TNB BLOW HOT AND COLD





It was a case of blowing hot and cold for Tenaga Nasional Berhad when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sapura despite twice taking the lead in a Premier Division clash at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight.
 
This is TNB's third draw in the TNBMHL in four matches and it was a case of another two points lost rather then one gained. And it puts them in a disadvantage early on in the fight for the League title.

PERAK LIFT UNDER 16 TITLE


Perak came from a goal down to emerge champions of the MHC-MILO-NSC National Under 16 Tournamemt as they edged Malacca 2-1 at the Ministry of Education Stadium in Pantai tonight.

Perak deserved the win as they showed composure and tremendous grit, despite a first half deficit, utilising the penalty corners awarded to score the two goals that gave them the title.

"I could not have asked more as the players showed courage and fighting spirit, never giving up despite being a goal down," said Perak coach Mohd Nizam Mohd Hashim.

"It is a good win for Perak hockey as it shows we are on the right track in developing future players."

Malacca took the lead in the 31st minute through Mohd Alif Syazwan Noorshah who converted a penalty corner.

However Perak were on level terms in the 43rd minute Muhd Luqman Hakim Mohd Asri who struck from a penalty corner.

Muhammad AsheinyrulAzreei gave the silver state the title by scoring the winner in the 56th minute.

Roll of Honour:

Champion: Perak
Runner Up: Malacca
Third: Kuala Lumpur
Fourth: Terengganu

Best Player of the Tournament: Luqman Nul Hakim Ahmad Shukran ( Terengganu)
Man of Match (Final): Mohd Badrul Amin (Perak)
Top Goal Scorer: Wan Haziq Hishamuddin (Kuala Lumpur)
Best Goalkeeper: Adrian Andy (Sabah)
Fairplay: Malacca

PENANG LIFT TITLE


Penang emerged champions of the MHC-MILO-NSC National Under 16 Tournament when they edged Selangor 3-2 at the Ministry of Education Stadium in Pantai this evening.

Selangor took the lead in the 7th minute through Syazwati Aznan and looked confident stroking the ball around.

Penang did not panic and created several moves to trouble the Selangor defense that held Tim with a spirited is play by skipper Elya Syahirah Elias.

But the islanders were not to be denied as Nur Aida Abdul Azim burst through the centre to slot past the Selangor keeper Farikhatul Aini Sam'an in the 10th minute for the equaliser.

Penang took the lead thanks to some fine work by Nur Aida who worked her way into the semi oracle from the right before laying up a pass for Nur Syamini Atiqah Hishamul Anuar to slot in from two meters out to give Penang the lead.

Penang were denied a legitimate penalty stroke when a Selangor defender threw her stick when the Penang player was about to take a shot. But to the amazement Umpire Ernawati awarded a penalty orner when it rightfully should have been a stroke.

Selangor started off the second half forcing two penalty corners in the opening minutes, But they failed to get a shot on goal, no thanks to their inability to adapt to the situation as their set pieces were in tatters.

But they eventually equalised in the 65th minute through Zafikah Zainuddin in the 65th minute.

However Penang hit back in the very next minute via Nur Atiqah Hazirah Mohd Ashr to lift the title.

Roll of Honour

Champions: Penang
Runner Up:Selangor
Third: Kuala Lumpur
Fourth: Perak

Fairplay: Terengganu
Player of the Tournament: Nur Izatul Syafikah Ahmad ( Selangor)
Player of the Final:L Nur Aida Abdul Azim (Penang)
Top Goal Scorer: Liyana Aqilah Mohd Sepawi ( Perak)
Best Goalkeeper: Syazwani Azam ( Penang)

Friday, March 29, 2013

KLHC ON TOP


Defending champions KL Hockey club showed that they are a team to beat when they edged table toppers Maybank 4-3 at the National Hockey stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight. It was a commanding performance from the KLHC side who many had written of before the season got underway and the scoreline not reflective of KLHC's domination.
 
But the KLHC players showed steely determination, never affected by the reuptation of being unbeaten that Maybank brought into this game. And KLHC plunged a knife into Maybank with a classy display combined with lethal finishing.


UNIKL ZAPPED


Tenaga Nasional Berhad got their act together to defeat a young UniKL side 4-2 in the TNB Malaysian Hockey league at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil this evening. It was TNB's first win of the season after being held to draws in the opening week by Terengganu HT (4-4) and KL Hockey Club (3-3). As for UniKL it was their second defeat, having lost to KLHC (5-0)

UniKL gave a good account of themselves against the title favourites and wasted five penalty corners that could have made the final outcome much closer. Infact credit ought to go to the UniKL youngsters who took the game to their more fancied opponents despite being 3-0 down.

GO ON AND SUE LAH

Seems Mr. Businessman is now going around telling mutual friends that he wants to sue me. Go aheadlah as putting sand in other peoples rice bowl is an area of experstise as so far as Mr. businessman is concerned.

I am not too concerned about his threats to sue as I too have so much on him that I am sure the sports world would be glad to know.

Remember who started this and the words used against me where I could not defend myself. Check your facts before you make accusations. Now you know how hurting words can be and you want to sue. Go ahead if you want to, as I do not fear you at all.

Besides the court of law, there is God's law, and that sees no difference in mankind.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

KELANTAN WALK OUT

The National Under 16 Tournament was marred by a walkout by the Kelantan boys team in their match against Malacca.

The walkout occurred nine minutes from time when a Kelantan player was red carded.

He then attempted to attack the umpire but was restrained by his teammates.

A spectator then walked onto the pitch and is said to have slapped a Kelantan player before ordering the team to the changing room.

They then refused to continue the match.

Tournament Director A. Vinod will hold a meeting to discuss the walkout tonight.

According to the rules Kelantan will be thrown out of the tournament, their previous matches nullified and will be referred to the MHC Disciplinary Board.

A RESPONSE FROM A KIND SOUL

The Book of Proverbs has many things to say on this subject and most of it is summed up on one site - http://www.gotquestions.org/Proverbs-26-4-5.html

Paraphrasing Proverbs 26:4, George Carlin said "Never argue with a fool, as they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience" while Mark Twain said "Never argue with a fool, onlookers might be able to spot the difference."

To me the KLHA member who came up with the gem to "save money and do away with the Media Officer" uttered the most foolish statement I have ever heard. It is people like this who have driven Hockey to stay in the Olympics by a mere 3 EC votes and unfortunately there are far too many of these kind of people in Hockey around the World.

Last week the Department for Sport and Recreation in South Africa threw a lavish banquet to honour Marsha Marescia on her 300th International, part of which was to gift her a car. Despite this extraordinary expenditure by the Government Department who give South African Hockey almost their entire budget, the President and CEO did not think it was worth issuing an official media release about the banquet. How stupid can you get? What will happen when they request more money from Government and get met with the reply "No, because you do not appreciate what we do for you."

Yes, you have been abused and grossly insulted by some of the most stupid people on the planet. Do not take out your anger on the fans of the sport or the sponsors in turn and punish them to show your anger. Remember last year that it was the Sponsors who asked for you to run the Official site after the MHC idiots snubbed you and they had to listen or risk losing the sponsorship.

The quality of your work was amply acknowledged by the 223 000 visitors to the Azlan Shah Cup site in the 10 days of the tournament who believed in your integrity. Listen to all those people and not the one oxygen thief from KLHA. Why sink to his level? He is only going to crow on how he was right that you cannot provide a reliable service when you shut down the most reliable and almost the only sites for information on Hockey in Malaysia.

By all means remove any reference to the MHC and their sponsors from the sites and run them as unofficial sites.

For years I have been trying to tell the FIH that a dedicated fan can outdo their inadequate efforts easily from the stands through a cellphone or a tablet device. Show this view to be 100% correct and approach the official sponsors of the event for funding to do so. The only thing the Sponsor is interested in is seeing their name attached to coverage of the tournament. Editors of the National print media are very careful to omit all such reference to the sponsor's name and the MHC is too stupid to berate them because of this. Tennis, Rugby, Golf, Formula 1 - all the big sports have got this right.

Play on this weakness in approaching the event sponsors for funding. If they don't want to pay don't mention them, but take pains to point out that nobody else ever mentions the fact that they sponsor the event. The backlash will soon hit the MHC.

Illegitimi non carborundum

WAKE UP MHC

These pictures tell the sordid tale of affairs in the Malaysian Hockey Confederation. Despite this blog highlighting the error on the standings, nothing has been done to rectify the mistake since 6.30pm yesterday.

It shows that the three stooges who raised a question as to why a proper media person is needed were totally lost as far as Media Relations were concerned.

My message to the businessman, it this the type of Return of Investment that the sponsors TNB were promised? Or is their money to be used to fund the next trip for MHC Officials?

Look at the different timings in the pictures below to show that MHC is not only lost for ideas but deep in slumberland.

You started this war Mr.Businessman, so now live by it as I will remind you daily on your injustice.








Monday, March 25, 2013

THOSE WERE THE DAYS

Malay Mail used to pride itself with earth shattering stories in the sports pages so much so some editors used to cringe in fear when picking up the paper.

It had a reputation of having sports journalist who used to report without fear or favour.

But looking at the newspaper today, it is really a shame that a sports journalist has failed to get his facts right and allows himself to be used as a tool by some to highlight things that a layman knows are wrong.

Firstly it is and has been for the past 18 months been known as the Malaysian Hockey Confederation and not the Malaysian Hockey Federation.

With regards to the MHL, press conferences were held at the Malay Mail journalist never turned up for any.

Next he quotes a disgruntled official from Penang who laments about publicity given to only Klang Valley. But that team plays 4 matches in Penang, infact a whole weekend of MHL matches are scheduled to be held in Penang.

And where was this journalist on Sunday where there were close to 2,000 fans at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil and the two matches were beamed live on Astro Arena?

The MHL has been around for years, probably before this greenhorn was even born and today without checking his facts he writes as if he is an authority on hockey.

Today that same journalist, at the urging of an KLHA official who has nothing good to say, went around creating an issue with regards ball pickers for the U16 tourney in the KPM Stadium. Excuse me but have you even watched the matches since last Saturday?

And why are you not writing about the KLHA Stadium that was completed last December but is till today just as it was last December? Why has that same KLHA official not asked him to highlight it.

So before you start running, learn how to walk first. Do not be arrogant when talking to older people, as in our Asian community respecting elders is what every family teaches their young.

It's a simple advice, check your facts, write both sides of the story and respect all that are older then you.

NOTIFICATION

Kindly note that the following websites have been taken offline:

www.tnbmhl.com.my
www.mjhl.com.my
www.azlanshahcup.com
www.sultanjohorcup.com.my

This will remain until the personality who had no locus standi in MHC and berated me for my efforts in promoting hockey does the right thing by apologizing.

As for the other two MHC Council members, I can only pity them for their shallow thinking and lack of education, as they say let barking dogs bark, for most of the time they bark at the wind.

These are now open for sponsorship from any individual but will no longer carry the official tag line.

Clubs in the Malaysian Hockey League can liase with me on sponsorship and only news from sponsor clubs will be featured onto the website. Real time live coverage, twitter, features as well as match reports of the clubs matches will be done on this website which will carry logos of your clubs as value added services. In additions stories will also be written and shared with members of the media.

Hence clubs that are keen can contact me to work out a sponsorship package with regards to www.tnbmhl.com.my.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope for the best solution in providing comprehensive coverage for your clubs.

Thank you.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

27 FAIL FITNESS TEST

It is startling to note that 27 umpires officiating in the National Under 16 Tournament that is ongoing have failed in the fitness test conducted prior to the tournament.

Yet the Umpires Manager has deemed them fit to continue umpiring. Mind you that 15 of the umpires are members of the Armed Forces.

Ironically another fitness test is being planned in a day or two, something unheard of in hockey in the past.

Why are rules being bent and why is MHC so quiet about this whole charade? It takes two hands to clap and MHC top officials are well aware of this fiasco.

Wonder if anyone will raise the issue at the MHC Council Meeting on Sunday and highlight this to the MHC President?

After all the MHC President is said to have complete confidence in the MHC Umpires Chairman despite 12 affiliates signing a motion of no confidence.

TIGERS SHOCK EAST COAST GIANTS

 


Maybank delivered the first shock of the TNBMHL Premier Division when they upstaged Terengganu HT 2-1 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil this evening.

It was a good performance from Maybank who in the past take time to settle down. Their strong performance and result will no doubt raise eyebrows amongst the other teams as they played asolid defensive game when required and were deadly when presented opportunities.
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

HIGH FIVE FOR KLHC



Defending champions KL Hockey Club put the issue of the exodus of their star players behind them as they scored a convincing 5-0 win over UniKL in their opening match of the TNBMHL Premier Division at the National Hockey Stadium.

The win gives them the boost they need as they face favourites Tenaga Nasional Berhad in the Charity Shield this Sunday.
 

TNB HELD BY TERENGGANU



Tenaga Nasional Berhad were held to a 4-4 draw by debutants Terengganu HT in the opening match of the 2013 season of the TNBMHL at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

It was a poor performance by both teams despite the eight goals as the two teams were obvioiusly affected with a large number of players having just got back from national duty in the Azlan Shah Cup last week.

The match between Sapura and Nur Insafi Warriors was called of in the 41st minute due to adverse weather conditions. And after waiting 45 minutes, the score stood with both teams awarded a point.

At the adjacent pitch, Uniten KPT defeated Sunday 20/30 3-1 after being a goal down at halftime in a Division One match.
 

THE YOUTH IN ACTION



Thanks to MILO, the National Under 16 Tournament for both the men and women will get underway tomorrow at the National Hockey stadium in Bukit Jalil and Ministry of Education Stadium in Pantai.

Below are the groupings and missing from the women's fray are defending champions Malacca, supposedly due to lack of funds, yet the state organised two international Test matches just three weeks ago.

We will not be bringing you updates for this tournament and will leave that task to the main stream media and MHC.

Men's

Group A
Kuala Lumpur
Terengganu
Negri Sembilan
Selangor
Sabah
Perlis

Group B
Penang
Malacca
Johor
Kelantan
Perak
Pahang

Women's

Group A
Selangor
Kedah
Pahang
Negri Sembilan
Perak

Group B
Johor
Penang
Kuala Lumpur
Terengganu
Kelantan

RIP MY FRIEND


Zakir Hussain, the renowned sports journalist from Pakistan passed away yesterday

He was present at the Azlan Shah Cup last week and was looking his normal self, happy when Pakistan won a match and kept to himself when they lost. He was at the tournament until Thursday and left for Kuala Lumpur the next day.

Zakir was a legend when it came to writing about hockey and I had the pleasure of working alongside him during the last four Azlan Shah Cups.

He was particularly excited that the India v Pakistan series was on ( the decision to call off was done on Saturday only) and invited me to come for the Pakistan leg, promising to take me to Nankana Sahib and also requested me to stay at his house.

"It is time we had a major hockey event in Pakistan. It is safe to be there, trust me my friend. I assure you of your safety. Come and see for yourself," was what Zakir told me.

Former national coach Tai Beng Hai bumped into Zakir in the press room and paid tribute to him by saying that he was looking forward to what Zakir was going to write about the Azlan Shah Cup.

Zakir was a gentleman, takes a walk from his hotel, Fair Park to the Azlan Shah Stadium, never troubling anyone.

Together with his family we mourn his death and it is a tremendous loss for the hockey world.


Zakir Hussain Syed: Eminent sports analyst dies during walk in park
By APP Published: March 22, 2013

Former director general of Pakistan Sports Board and sports analyst Zakir Hussain Syed.


Former director general of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and sports analyst Zakir Hussain Syed passed away on Thursday at Fatima Jinnah Park where he was on a routine evening walk. He was 73.

His funeral will be held on Friday at 2:30 pm at his ancestral town Kotli Amir Ali, Sialkot. He was awarded the President’s Medal for the Pride of Performance. He was the first recipient of such a highest honour in sports administration and management in the country.

Zakir Hussain was the first Pakistani chief executive of the PSB. As the youngest ever director general of the board, he came to this organisation as a virtually unknown commodity and left behind a legacy of success and brilliance.

MHC - THE BICKERING CONTINUES AS THE SPORT SUFFERS

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation is not out of the limelight, not when there are loads of issues plaguing it over the past few months. Since this blog has been allowing them a chance to correct things, it is now evident that the "tidak apa" attitude prevails within the corridors of power of MHC.

This all boils down to the fact that the MHC elections are lest then a year away and the candidates are jostling for positions, using hired writers to "pen" down their opponents, not concerned about the sport.

Some have even gone to the extent of labeling the current MHC President as being ineffective, a charge I believe has its merits looking at several issues that have been raised but saw no action from HRH Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Firstly the vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the MHC Umpires Board seems to be totally ignored by the President, not even is it on the agenda for the MHC Council Meeting scheduled for this Sunday. 12 states signed the petition, and now 4 states have been issued with letters by the Secretary General to provide more proof to back their allegations. Why only 4 and not all the 12 and why is it at snails pace?

Secondly, some members of the MHC Competitions Committee opted to keep the entire Competitions Committee in the dark with regards to the proposal submitted to TNB on sponsorship of the MHL this season. It seems that TNB was promised 8 venues for outstation matches, when that is impossible to undertake. And why did these two members opt to keep the entire Committee in the dark? Why was the prize money for the MHL reduced after it was raised. Loads of why but no answers will be forthcoming.

Thirdly, there were two matches played in Malacca for the purpose of Charity, what it was no one knows. But there is a saying that charity begins at home and in this case Malacca, who are the defending champions of the U16 Girls tournament has failed to send a team for the National Under 16 that gets underway on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur. So why are questions not asked as to the priority of the state concerned. No point being famous internationally when you deprive youngsters from playing in national competitions.

Fourthly, with Tengku Abdullah not being able to attend the Azlan Shah Cup, the obvious happened, a majority of the MHC office bearers also found it not necessary to be at Ipoh to provide support for the team. Well, a whole lot of them were in Dublin just a year ago, enjoying the trip at the Olympic Qualifiers but a majority did not see it fit to be in Ipoh. Once again I raise this question - is Ipoh a whole lot further away from Dublin?

Ffith, the MHC calendar shows that the AHF Asia Cup for Women is in October, but in reality it is in September. And the dates are now clashing with the Sultan of Johor Cup, both scheduled towards the tail end of September. How did this come about. Who is to blame for the oversight. Once again is the Competition Committee being told the truth? Or is it a case of whats mine is mine?

Sixth, another clash of dates in August. The women in MHC want to hold a 4 Nation Junior Invitational late August, but hello there, do you realise that we have the Mens Asia Cup from August 24 till September 1?

Seventh, any idea when is the Razak Cup? Someone tell me please as suddenly its gone off the radar with all just thinking of the international events only. It was moved to July, then back to September. Tell you what, I propose that it be held in early October, solves your problem right.

Eight, now we talk about the Sultan of Pahang Cup. I was told by the Hon Secretary that it has been called off now. Is that true, and if yes why is that so. Was it not meant to be an intter club affair that could have been used as a platform by teams in the MHL. Why so fickle minded?

Ninth, it seems that MHC only found out recently that there is a Five A Side Competition in Singapore early next month. How is it that a mere blogger knew about it in January and it was also highlighted at the AHF Congress on march 2. Who has kept this info to themselves?

Tenth. the Selangor Hockey Association, the legitimate body of hockey in Selangor is not aware that they are to host the Women Asia Cup. What is happening Mr. President? Are there still two hockey bodies in the country?

Eleventh. Some states have yet to merge. They were given until December 31 and then extended to March 31. Will the Council this Sunday have the guts to revoke the membership of these states or just do the famous "close one eye"?

And finally, it has taken the Ad Hoc Committee for appointments five months to come up with an advertisement or a search for the Chief Executive Officer for MHC. Since drafting an advert is such a chore, allow this blog to put it up for MHC, taking into consideration their standard operational procedure that they practice:

WANTED: 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

SALARY:
DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD, BUT AT CURRENT RATE IT IS NOT MORE THEN RM2,000 PER MONTH.

PERKS:
YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A USED CAR, BUT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THE CAR, SEND FOR REGULAR SERVICE, ALL AT YOUR COST.

EXPERIENCE:
AS LONG AS YOU KNOW WHAT HOCKEY IS. NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPORT AS LONG AS YOU KNOW HOW ITS PLAYED. EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED OR ADMINISTRATED THE SPORT, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE.
 
ANSWERABLE TO:
YOU WILL HAVE 54 BOSSES AND ARE ANSWERABLE TO ALL OF THEM THOUGH YOU ARE RIGHTFULLY ONLY ANSWERABLE TO THE PRESIDENT.

IN ADDITION SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WILL ALSO EXPECT YOU TO ANSWER TO THEM.
 
JOB SCOPE
THOUGH WE ARE A NON POLITICAL ORGANISATION, YOU MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLAY POLITICS EVEN THOUGH AT THE EXPENSE OF YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES.
 
ON THE TOP OF THAT YOU MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO USURP THE POWERS OF CERTAIN ELECTED OFFICIALS BUT AT NO TIME CAN YOU DISOBEY KEY INDIVIDUALS WHO DECIDE THINGS, EVEN THOUGH THE DECISIONS ARE WRONG MORALLY AND BY CONVENTION AS LONG AS IT SERVES THE AGENDA OF THESE KEY INDIVIDUALS.
 
THE  KEY WORD IS ABILITY TO PLAY POLITICS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. WE ARE NOT CONCERNED IF YOU CANNOT CARRY OUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES EFFICIENTLY OR TO WHAT IS EXPECTED OF A NORMAL CEO OF AN ORGANISATION, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO NOD AND ALSO PROTECT THOSE WHO FAIL TO DO THEIR JOBS.
 



ANOTHER RULE CHANGE


Just two weeks after the FIH President had stated in a Press Conference in Kuala Lumpur that no changes to hockey rules will be done until the 2016 Rio Olympics, there has been a change of heart at the FIH Executive Board meeting last week.

The Executive Board has noe decided decided to implement a 45-second shot clock for all penalty corners. 

This comes about after seeing that the time taken for penalty corners was gradually increasing, the Executive Board felt this was an important measure to speed up the game while still giving teams enough time to prepare for penalty corners. 

The rule is set to take effect in time for the Women’s Hockey World League Round 4 tournament in Argentina. 

Another major change on the competition side was the decision to no longer have extra time at any FIH events. Classification games that are tied at the end of regulation will go directly into a shootout.

The Invitational places for the 2014 Champions Trophy were also announced. Receiving the two invitation places for the men’s Champions Trophy are Germany and England. 

On the women’s side, the two coveted invitational places go to New Zealand and China.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

UNIKL SET HIGH STANDARDS

FACTFILE ON UNIKL


UniKL may not be considered as title contenders, but they have established themselves as one of the most professional set-ups in Malaysian Hockey, seen below with a Press Release that is truly every journalists dream.

Such high standards are only possible when you have officials that not only know their responsibilities but also have a strong passion for the sport, and towards this credit goes to Amir Azhar Ibrahim.

Not only has he managed to build a team from scratch, his untiring efforts and easy going approach towards the media and hockey officials has won him many accolades. And he has gone a step further by training an able assistant in Mohd Faiz Isa, who will manage the UniKL team this year.

The photograph above is from the unveiling of the UniKL jersey, and present was UniKL President Prof Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su'ud, advisor Mirnawan Nawawi .
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

TOUGH FIGHT TO HOST 2018 WORLD CUP


The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is pleased to announce that in its meeting on Saturday, the FIH Executive Board confirmed the shortlist of applicants for the Hockey World Cups 2018 to include Australia, Belgium, England, India, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The expressions of interest received for the World Cups were part of the larger Event Assignment Process launched by FIH at the FIH Congress in November 2012 to assign the unallocated events for the period of 2014 to 2018 before the end of this year.

Aside from excellent interest in the World Cups, there was also an enthusiastic response for a number of other events, like the Hockey Junior World Cups 2017 and a new type of “Champions Event”, but particularly for the Hockey World League Semi-Final events which will serve as the main Olympic qualifying event in 2015 and the main World Cup qualifying event in 2017.

Of the applicants shortlisted for the World Cup, Australia, England, India and Malaysia have previous experience hosting hockey's pinnacle event, with India having hosted the latest men's edition only three years ago.

Belgium and New Zealand are new to bidding for the World Cup but have both successfully hosted international events in recent years, such as last year's Women's Olympic Qualifier and the Men's Champions Trophy 2011 respectively.

Both the Men's and Women's Hockey World Cups 2018 will feature an increased 16-nation field of participants confirming the growing interest and development of the sport. Next year's highly anticipated Rabobank Hockey World Cup, taking place in The Hague, Netherlands, during the first two weeks of June, will see twelve men's and twelve women's teams compete in a joint tournament.

FIH President Leandro Negre commented, "The high interest to host by our Member Associations, especially for the World Cup, is extremely encouraging and we are very happy with the positive reaction to the FIH's new event assignment process. This successful first phase reaffirms our efforts to develop and strengthen our event brands and confirms the FIH's choice to select hosts much further in advance than previously."

In the next step of the process, all Hockey World Cup applicants will receive detailed event and bidding documentation and participate in a one day workshop on 7 May in Lausanne to allow them to prepare their bids in advance of the 31 August 2013 submission deadline.

On 8 November 2013, the FIH will announce the hosts, venues and dates of the Hockey World Cups 2018.

The shortlist of applicants for the Hockey World Cups 2018 consists of the following National Associations:

Australia (Men and/or Women)
Belgium (Men and/or Women)
England (Women)
India (Men)
Malaysia (Men)
New Zealand (Men and/or Women)

TNBMHL - PREVIEW - FOCUS ON FOREIGN PLAYERS


TNBMHL - PREVIEW - FOCUS ON FOREIGN PLAYERS



The TNB Malaysian Hockey League for the 2013 season will commence this Friday and the focal point will not only be on debutants Terengganu HT, but also on the foreign players that have signed up to represent several teams in the Premier Division.

20 foreign players have signed up for various teams for the new season of MHL.

A total of 14 teams will battle it our for honours in the Premier and First Division of the TNBMHL that first made its debut in 1987.
 


Sunday, March 17, 2013

INDIA FINISH FIFTH AT AZLAN SHAH CUP



PIC COURTESY OF SPORTS MEDIA GROUP.COM.AU

India defeated Pakistan 4-2 to take fifth spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this afternoon.

They had defeated Pakistan 3-1 in the league match and for Pakistan it was the successive time they finished last, as they were seventh last year.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

MALAYSIA, AUSTRALIA AZLAN SHAH CUP FINAL



Australia qualified for the final of the 22nd edition of the Sulatn Azlan Shah Cup when they edged New Zealand 3-2 this evening.

With the Aussie win, Malaysia is also through to the final, rendering their match against India of academic interest.

New Zealand will play either Korea or India, for the bronze medal. India needs to win against Malaysia to secure a 3/4 placing playoff.

Friday, March 15, 2013

AZLAN SHAH CUP SATURDAY MATCHES PREVIEW



The finalists for the 22nd edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will only be determined after the dust settles following the final league matches on Saturday.

As it stands Australia and Malaysia are in the driving seat, both with 8 points but Australia with a superior goal difference of plus 8 while Malaysia are on plus 2.

Both the teams need a draw in their final matches, Australia against New Zealand and Malaysia against India to book their places in the final.

A win for New Zealand and a Malaysian defeat will see the two Oceania countries contesting the final on Sunday.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

AUSSIES HELD,INDIA LOSE



New Zealand set-up a crucial match against Australia on Saturday when they defeated India 2-0 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Thus with six points they will battle Australia in a winner take all match that could well decide the finalist.


PIC COURTESY OF SPORTS MEDIA GROUP.COM.AU

Korea held Australia to a 3-3 draw in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup but really it was three points lost then one gained as Korea led till two seconds from the end.

The draw thus puts Korea out of the running for a place in the final while Australia will have to win against New Zealand on Saturday.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

IMRAN TO DON KLHC COLOURS

Pakistan skipper Muhammad Imran will represent KL Hockey Club in the forthcoming Malaysian Hockey League next week.

And KLHC has recruited another four Pakistani players and an Australian player in their quest to retain their title.

More later on today..

OPTIMISTIC YET CAUTIOUS


Malaysia are optimistic of making the final of the 22nd edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

But at the same time coach Paul Revington remains cautious as he warned his players to keep their heads firmly screwed on their shoulders as there is still two tough matches to overcome.

Read more...www.azlanshahcup.com

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

AUSSIES HELD


Malaysia held World number two Australia to a 1-1 draw in an exciting match infront of a full stadium at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.

The Aussies had nine penalty corners but could not score a single goal from them as Malaysian keeper S. Kumar was in his element, pulling off save after save.

Both teams thus remain unbeaten in the tournament and are in a good position to contest the final on Sunday.

INDIA DEFEAT PAKISTAN AT AZLAN SHAH CUP



PIC COURTESY OF SPORTS MEDIA GROUP.COM.AU

India came from a goal down to defeat Pakistan 3-1 to register their first win in the 22nd edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh.

The young Indian side showed plenty of maturity and composure to avenge the Indian defeat at the AHF Champions Trophy in Doha last December.

More importantly it kept the Indian hopes alive for a podium finish at the Azlan Shah Cup.



PIC COURTESY OF SPORTS MEDIA GROUP.COM.AU

Defending champions New Zealand got back onto the winning trail when they defeated South Korea 3-0 at the Azlan Shah Stadium.

New Zealand, the defending champions, had lost both their opening matches, 4-3 against Pakistan and 3-2 against Malaysia and were looking for a win to secure points.


Sunday, March 10, 2013

INDIA FALL TO SECOND DEFEAT



Korea defeated India 2-1 to register their first win in the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh this evening.

Both the teams had lost their opening matches, with India going down 4-3 at the hands of Australia while Korea were beaten 3-2 via a final minute goal by Malaysia.

PAKISTAN HIT FOR HALF A DOZEN




Australia hammered Pakistan 6-0 in a display of clinical finishing at the Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium today.

It was a huge margin of victory, eclipsed by the Aussies 7-0 win at the London Olympics last year.


Saturday, March 9, 2013

AZLAN SHAH CUP UPDATES




Australia defeated India 4-3 in their opening match of the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.



It was a wet start to the 22nd edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup as rain disrupted proceedings, forcing the organisors to move all games by 30 minutes.

And when play got underway. Pakistan edged defending champions New Zealand 4-3 in an exciting tie that saw New Zealand coming from three goals down to equalise but succumbed to a Muhammad Imran hattrick eventually.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

AZLAN SHAH CUP PREVIEWS



PREVIEW: NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand surprised every participating nation last year in the Azlan Shah Cup with a rare display that gave them the crown.

A solitary goal against Argentina in the final got them the coveted title. It was their first Azlan Shah triumph since they participated. and the Chronicler won’t hesitate to describe such is typical of New Zealand.

Read more...www.azlanshahcup.com.


India using Azlan Shah Cup to develop junior players: Michael Nobbs

India's chief hockey coach Michael Nobbs does not have high expectations from his squad in the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia but said that the tournament would serve as an ideal platform for identifying players for the Junior World Cup scheduled later this year.

Read more...www.azlanshahcup.com


Pakistan team off to take part in Azlan Shah Cup

The Pakistan hockey team left for Malaysia yesterday to take part in the Azlan Shah Cup with a target of scouting out potential youngsters for the next year’s World Cup.

Read more...www.azlanshahcup.com

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A WIN FOR MALAYSIA

Malaysia turned the tables over New Zealand when they defeated the defending Azlan Shah Cup champions 3-2 in the second Test match played in Malacca tonight.

On Monday it was the Kiwis that won the first Test match with the same scoreline. Both the teams will depart for Ipoh on Wednesday morning for the Azlan Shah Cup which commences on Saturday.

But while Malaysia won, the fact that they almost blew a halftime lead of 3-0 will no doubt worry coach Paul Revington.

More on this tomorrow.

Monday, March 4, 2013

NEW ZEALAND EDGE MALAYSIA

New Zealand defeated Malaysia 3-2 in the first of their two Test Matches at the MPMBB Hockey Stadium in Malacca this evening.

New Zealand were without Phil Burrows, Shea McAleese, Nick Haig, Richard Petherick Brad Shaw, Simon Child, Nick Wilson and Steven Edwards , some of whom whom were left out to give the youngsters a chance while others were committed to clubs in the European League.

Debutants Cory Bennett, Nick Ross and Isaac Staples gave a good account of themselves as did Baljit Singh whose place in the Azlan Shah Cup will only be decided after the match on Tuesday.

But Ismail Abu, who was in contention for the final 18 is definitely out as he has failed to recover sufficiently from his injury.

Malaysia were trying out players in different positions but still should have done better in the semi circle as they only had one penalty corner in the entire 70 minutes while the forwards were one step slower whenever an opportunity presented itself.

It was a hesitant start by both teams who opted to play the waiting game for the other to make unforced errors.

New Zealand then started the offensive but not before Chua Boon Huat squandered a sitter as a cross from the right by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin eluded the entire back line and left Chua infront the goal, but he muffed it.

New Zealand were awarded a penalty corner in the 21st minute and Andy Hayward sent in a flick into the roof of the Malaysian goal giving Roslan Jamaludin no chance whatsoever.

That woke the Malaysian team from their slumber and they launched an onslaught that yielded an equaliser through Faisal Saari after a goal mouth melee in the 24th minute.

But another Andy strike from a penalty corner in the 33rd minute gave the Kiwis a halftime lead.

Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin deflected in a cross by Marhan Jalil to make it 2-2 in the 47th minute. Although

The bar stood in the way of Andy in the 51st minute as his attempt bounced off with Roslan beaten all the way.

Malaysia were awarded a penalty corner late in the game but Mohd Razie Rahim could not get his shot off the ground.

Though Malaysia finished strongly, they just could not put the ball into goal and the draw was a fair result of proceedings.

But New Zealand scored in the 68th minute Shay Neal in the 65th minute to snatch boasting rights ahead of the Azlan Shah Cup.





Saturday, March 2, 2013

ASIA'S BEST HONOURED



The Asian Hockey Confederation held its mid term Congress in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon and presented the AHF Player Awards to the winners for the 2011 season.

However none of the receipients attended the function and were represented by their respective officials.




Sardar Singh of India was picked as the Best Player for 2011. He was also named the player of the tournament for the 2010 and 2012 Azlan Shah Cup.

Rika Komazawa of Japan was named as the Women Player of the Year.

For the AHF Youth Player of the year, it went to Muhamad Rizwan of Pakistan while the women youth player award went to Ritu Rani of India.


12 state chairmen want Muthukumar removed

MHC UMPIRES COMMITTEE: 12 state chairmen want Muthukumar removed

TWELVE out of 16 State umpires' chairmen have signed a  motion of no confidence against Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Umpires Committee chairman Lt Colonel B. Muthukumar.

It was presented and read out during the MHC management meeting last Saturday, but president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said he needed more time to study it before making a stand.

"The motion of no confidence tabled at the management meeting (against Muthukumar) came as a shock to me as I was not made aware of it beforehand.

"However, I am looking into it as I want to find out what the problems are before making a stand," said Tengku Abdullah in a text reply.

Read: www.jugjet.blogspot.com