AZLAN AND SHSAHRUN NABIL DROPPED FROM EUROPE TOUR

Former national skipper Azlan Misron was the surprise omission from the national team named for the Europe tour to be undertaken by the team commencing this Tuesday.

Also out, but due to a medical condition, was another midfielder Mohd Shahrun Nabil as a squad of 20 players and 7 officials depart to Holland and onwards to Spain to play 11 matches in a space of 24 days.

Two players who are playing in the Australian Hockey League, Mohd Shukri Mutalib and Faisal Saari were also left out of the touring squad. 

Making a comeback after sitting out of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup are two members of the Asian Games silver medal winning side - Mohd Amin Rahim and Azreen Rizal.

Two of the matches in Holland, on 17th and 18th June are against the Dutch national side, as are two of the scheduled 9 matches the team are to play in Spain. Five are against Spanish clubs and two against the Spanish Juniors.

The team will move to train and play in Spain from June 22 after it was decided that Malaysia sends its Junior Team to play in the Four Nation Invitational Tournament in Moscow later this month.

The Squad

S Kumar, Roslan Jamaluddin, Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim, Baljit Singh, Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Mohd Amin Rahim, Azreen Rizal Nasir, Muhd Marhan Mohd Jalil, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Mohd Azri Hassan, Hafifihafiz Hanafi, Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin, Kevinder Singh, Muhammad Azammi Adabi, Muhammad Izzat Mohd Rahim, Mohd Fitri Abu Bakar, Shahrin Mohammad, Mohd Firhan Ashaari and Faiz Helmi Jali

UNDER 21 TOURNAMENT

For tournament details, match reports as well as pictures, kindly visit the following blog: http://u21hockey.blogspot.com/

National Under 21

Eight states will compete in the National Under 21 Tournament that commences on June 14 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium.

Hosted by the Johor Hockey Association, the tournament for the Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor Trophy will see the teams play in a two pool format with two teams in each group.

Group A will comprise of Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor while Group B will consist of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang and Perak.

The top two teams of both groups will meet in a cross over semi finals on Saturday with the final scheduled for Sunday.

For updates on the tournament, please visit this blog from Monday as we start with a preview.

FOOK LOKE QUITS

Former international Dato Poon Fook Loke dropped a bombshell hours before the 1 Mas Program camp launch by submitting his resignation as the Deputy Chairman of the Task Force Commitee.

His resignation was discussed at the MHF Management Committee meeting held in Seremban ( that the media was kept in the dark ) and it was decided that another former international Ow Soon Kooi be tasked to talk to Dato Poon to find out his reasons for resignation and to reconsider the decision .

Interesting details about the meeting more later today. Keep coming back for breaking news, some shocking.

SELECTIVE INVITES - SELECTIVE INFO

There was a function of some sorts in Seremban today, something to do with the much talked about 1 MAS Program. I will not touch on it for the simple reason I was not invited to the event.

But upon checking with other hockey writers, I realised that they too were never informed on the event nor received any invitation on it.

And my worst fears were confirmed, when I received a copy of the invite from another journalist friend and saw the list of email addresses on it. Clearly it shows that the administrators of the 1 MAS Program either do not read newspapers or they have no inkling what hockey is.

Or maybe the fact that the supremo of the 1 MAS Program was not in the country, away with the National Under 16 Team was something they wanted hockey writers to avoid asking. Was told the list of invites was vetted by him, so obviously he knows who the writers are.

Not only that fascinated me, but the invite said that the MHF President was to hold a Press Conference at 5.45 at the Seremban 2 Hockey.

Why did the MHF and the MHC not inform the media of meetings held at Allson Kelana in Seremban today? Where is the communication with the media on the part of the MHF? And mind you they have full time paid staff as well as a designated media committee.

Important decision were made at that meeting. And this blog will not write about it until tomorrow as I too want to see what kind of selective information is revealed by the MHF as once again no hockey writers were informed.

TOURING TIME

The Project 2013 Squad were in Australia and are heading towards New Zealand next in what can be described as a touring time for the various national teams.

For the National Under 16 squad are heading for Manhiem next week to compete in the 4 Nations Invitational.

And the national senior squad will be leaving for Europe soon as they have two matches lined up against Holland before a Test Match against Russia on June 20.

The senior side will then play in a 4 Nation Tournament in Moscow that will see the hosts together with Ukraine and South Africa competing for honors.

And after the Moscow the senior side moves to Spain as they will play two test matches against the Spanish national team and two against their juniors.

In all the senior side will be overseas for 24 days, playing 11 matches inna space of 18 days minus their travel dates.

The Project Side are not left out for after the Down Under tours, some players will play in the AHF Under 18 tournament in Singapore while the others in the National Under 21 in Johor Baru.

Following which the Project Squad moves to Europe on July 3 and will return a day before the Razak Cup proper gets underway in Malacca, which will see the Under 16 side competing as well.

It's in August where the troubles begin for the senior side as plans were made for five test matches in Argentina from 20 to 28 August.

However the fact that the Asian Champions Trophy in China is on September 3, that will make it virtually impossible to honor the Argentina dates.

But no such problems for the Project Squad as they will be in India it is said in August.

You read it here, not on the official MHF website though where information should be posted....

RAZAK CUP - TO ZONE OR NOT TO ZONE?

The intentions of the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to lend credibility to the Tun Razak Cup were noble. But the execution is not.

For the plan to regain the lost glory of the prestigious tournament of the 60's right through to the 80's has fallen flat.

The MHF had wanted to hold the tournament on a zonal basis, with four teams in each zone, the top two playing in the Razak Cup top flight with the others in the second tier.

But the zonal system hit a snag right from the start.

Firstly the zonal competitions that were to commence in early April had to be moved to late May, and believe it or not - it was due to the fact that we are facing a shortage of umpires.

Now that it is being held next weekend (the first round of the qualifiers) another row is brewing - should the national players be released to the states.

From the onset it was agreed and decided that the national players will only be released for the Razak Cup proper in late July in Malacca - for the final round. So really there should be no debate what so ever on this.

But then state teams are in a catch 22 situation - they will be without their national players as well as their top juniors for the Project 2013 team will be touring Australia and New Zealand during that period.

So 45 of the best players in the country cannot play in the qualifiers, be it the first or second round (scheduled for late June), since the Project 2013 are preparing for an Europe Tour whilst some players will be playing in the AHF Under 18 in Singapore from June 17 to June 25.

Then we have another issue - the withdrawal of teams, PDRM and Singapore withdrew early this month and Terengganu has followed suit, citing lack of finance.

Maybe Terengganu should ask the Sports Minister and NSC DG, both who hail from that state for financial help - maybe donate half their salary to ensure Terengganu has sufficient funding to participate?

But the attempt to revive ( sorry to use the word as it may offend the sponsors) has fallen flat and a kiss of life now is not sufficient.

So do the right thing - scrap the qualifiers, hold the Razak Cup in July, get some foreign players with the money you save from holding the qualifiers and hold a raffle draw to let states have their sefvices. Maybe then we can see some decent performance.