HWLR2 - You read it here first

With the official confirmation today, Tuesday, February 7, it is pertinent to note that Hockey followers read about the switch here first.

Canada and Msia to switch? Read http://malaysianhockey.blogspot.com/2017/02/malaysia-to-replace-canada.html

http://jugjet.blogspot.my/2017/02/bye-tnt-dhaka-here-we-come.html?m=1

Top nations for SOJC.

SOJC

Press Release

The seventh edition of the Sultan Johor Cup could well see a star studded field.

To be held at the Taman Daya Stadium from October 22 to October 29, the Organisers Johor Hockey Association are sparing no effort to get the participation of some of the top hockey nations.

Those invited are  Argentina, Great Britain, Germany, India and Australia. The sixth team is hosts Malaysia.

" We are extending invited to these teams as they had expressed interest in participating this year," said JHA Deputy President Dato Manjit Majid Abdullah.

" These are top teams and it will help boost the image of the tournament.

" We have also received interest from a few other countries but will keep our options open and invite others should any of these five decline."

Among the countries put on the reserve list are New Zealand, Japan, Pakistan and Egypt.

Dato Manjit said that they were also looking at other teams such as South Africa, Spain or Belgium for the tournament.

Should India accept the invite, they will be making a return after a years absence.

Australia are the defending champions and Malaysia as well as Great Britain have emerged as champions before as have India.

" We are also looking at holding some coaching seminars as well as clinics during the tournament," added Dato Manjit.

Malaysia to replace Canada?

With Canada withdrawing from the Round 2 of the World League scheduled to be held in Dhaka next month, there is a possibility that Malaysia may now replace Canada.

Canada withdrew from the tournament in security concerns and a decision needs to be made by FIH as to who will replace Canada.

Malaysia are scheduled to play in the Round 2 event in Trinidad & Tobago and should FIH switch Malaysia to replace Canada, it will be good as the teams in Dhaka are not that strong.

The Round 2 World League in Dhaka is scheduled from March 4 to 12.

Canada, who are 11th in the world, had been drawn along with Bangladesh, Oman and Fiji in one of two groups for the World League Round 2 event. China, Egypt, Ghana and Sri Lanka are in the second group.

The FIH (International Hockey Federation) has informed us that Canada will not participate in this tournament due to security concerns," the Bangladesh Hockey Federation's general secretary Abdus Sadequesaid

 

Ironically it will be interesting to see if Malaysia will go to Dhaka as they cited security concerns for not participating in the AHF Under 18 tournament last year in Dhaka.

Canada is the second country to pull out of a hockey tournament in Bangladesh since militants killed 22 people in an attack on a cafe in Dhaka last July. Most of the victims were foreigners.

Japan withdrew their team from the Under-18 Asia Cup in August on security ground as seven of their citizens were among the victims of the cafe attack.

Australia's cricket team also pulled out of a scheduled tour to Bangladesh in late 2015 over security fears.

England's cricket team did tour Bangladesh in October last year after the authorities accorded them security normally reserved for visiting heads of state.

Early start for MJHL?

Teams participating in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League are up in arms over a decision that does not make sense.

Initially the teams were told that the MHHL would start in late March but a revised circular has stated that the MJHL will now commence on Match 2.

But the National Under 16 has been scheduled from March 18 to March 26 in Kota Kinabalu.

Thus many teams contacted this blog to voice their displeasure that the  MJHL will take a break for the Under 16.

They cited two main grouses - states will not release players to the clubs and also inadequate preparations coupled with rising costs of training teams should there be a break.

The teams rather have the MJHL start as planned before, which is the end of March and to be completed before the fasting month commences in the end of May.

A total of 22 teams had initially confirmed entities in December but the figure has now grown to 32 teams with the closing date extended to February 6.

Ironically no calling of entities has been done for the National Under 16, which will cater for boys and girls yet despite the event being held in March in Kota Kinabalu.

Teams will have to cater for their own board and lodging and the question of flights payments also needs to be sorted out.

On top of that the Teo teams in the MJHL from Sabah want their home matches to be played in Kota Kinabalu and it will be left to be seen if this will actually happen as teams from the Peninsular might be put off by the cost of flying to East Malaysia.

Plaudits for Ow and Dharma

Giving credit where it's due is what this blog has advocated since it was first published.

The fear of the women's Hockey team to qualify for the Round 3 deserves all the plaudits and pat on the back as they defied odds to achieve something that was thought to be beyond them.

Women's hockey always had the ability to perform, deliver, succeed, yet they were never given a fair opportunity by sone quarters who only wanted to project self interest.

Hence this blog, while applauding and congratulation the likes of coach K. Dharmaraj and his assistants in the likes of Nor Saliza Ahmad Soobni, Lailin Abu Hassan, Roslan Jamaluddin and K. Gobinathan, wishes also to put on record a pat on the back to the MHC Coaching Committee led by Dato Ow Soon Kooi.

It was Ow and his committee that revolutionised women's Hockey as they overcame several objections to install Dharma has the head honcho for women's Hockey.

Ow knew that Dharma had the special ingredient to take women's hockey to greater heights and despite several hindrances, Ow persisted with his choice Abd the rest as we now see was history being created.

Others will be Jinping on the bandwagon to take credit and take the bows, but it was a visionary Ow plus a hard working Dharma that made this possible.

Dharma has proven his ability time and again and the win over Italy will probably Prive his detractors wrong once and for all.

Dharma has passion, something many claim they have, for he eats, sleeps and dreams hockey.

The scrawny Malacca lad that I came to know in 1987 is known to speak his mind, but this time around I hope he keeps his feet firmly on the ground.

This is hopefully the start to better times for women's hockey, neglected for two decades no thanks to the selfishness of ab individual who will no doubt be laying claim to a throne that was never her doing in the first place.

Go do what you have always done Dharma, coach with all you have, and thank you Ow for daring to stand your ground when change was necessary.

Marhan inks deal with UniKL

skipper Mohamed Marhan Mohamed Jalil has recovered form his shoulder injury and is ready to resume his playing career in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).

But only this time he will don Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) colours. 

Marhan signed a three-year deal with UniKL yesterday and has already started training with his new team.

The international midfielder will be a much needed boost for the UniKl team who is trying to break into the top four of the MHL.

UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj said that he was [pleased to have Marhan in the team.

'He is a strong midfield players and has vast experience. He will be of great benefit to us and we are looking forward to the new season with relish,” he said.

Sapura, a former two-time overall and league champions, have decided not to enter a team in the MHL this season.

Most of their players have already been snapped up.

Marhan's return to the game will also be good news to the national team.

The players provides the thrust in the team and his injury sustained in October was expected to take six months to heal.

“But it has healed sufficiently and he can train normally. Of course we need to bring him into the game gradually but so far the signs are good that he wil be fully ready for the challenge,” added Arulselvaraj.

Exciting matches in knockout draw

There were several interesting match up's when the draw for the knockout tournament of the MHL was conducted today.

The 16 teams competing in the Premier and Division One leagues were placed in an open draw.

The plum tie must surely be the clash between KL Hockey Club and Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

KLHC are a traditional power house while TNB were the losing finalists of the inaugural knockout tournament this year.

Another interesting match up is between two league champions, Terengganu HT who won the Premier League and TNB Thunderbolts who lifted the Division One title.

UniKL is expected to have a tough time against fellow Premier League side Uitm who have been boosted by several players who used to don the Sapura jerseys in the past.

PDRM who are making a return to the MHL will take on Bukit Jalil Sports School while another all Division One tie will see Johor squaring up against SSTMI.

RMAF will play Petaling Jaya CC in another all Division One clash while Maybank play UPM.

All matches are slated for  Friday January 6.

With the unavailability of the KLHA and KPM Stadium to play night matches due to poor lighting, matches at these two venues will be played at 1600H and 1800H.