National Hockey Team Management Committee Chairman, Dato’ Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak shared his optimistic outlook, and asserted that the Speedy Tigers’ playing tour of Europe is an initial step in the team’s build-up to the 2026 Asian Games.
The national men’s team will depart for Europe on June 28 and return on July 16.
The Malaysians will play seven matches on the two-week tour against the Belgium, the Netherlands, the touring Indian national team, and Germany’s club side Monchengladbach, that boasts several players from the national team.
The Speedy Tigers competed in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup in Poland.
“It is a process led by Coach Sarjit (Singh). A new game for everyone,” said Dato Najmi, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation vice-president who is also the national team manager.
“The team is a new setup that is going through a process in order to be successful in the future. It is not a short-term result that we are looking at now.
“It is something that we believe in the coach, the assistant coaches, and the team in our challenges in the Asian Games,” he added.
He stressed that the next four years will be interesting to see Coach Sarjit and his assistants transform the players into ‘maturity’ like a caterpillar that morphs into a butterfly.
“There is a lot of learning to be done in terms of not only hockey, but discipline.
“For example, the players received 8 cards (4 yellow and 4 green) against Canada in the Nations Cup. Most of the players are young and the guidance of the seniors is much needed as well. I hope they have learnt a lesson. And I also hope what they have learned in the Nations Cup in Poland will be used in future tournaments,” added Dato Najmi.
The Europe tour, he pointed out, is very crucial.
“They will be playing against stronger teams. They need to know, no matter how hard they work, the other teams are working harder. This is something that we need to realise now and stay on par with them,” he observed.
“Like I said, it is not a short-term result that we are looking at. Slowly, we are building up the strength of the team, discipline and belief in themselves.”
He also said that the national juniors have been training hard together with several senior team players.
“The senior team is an open position. If Coach Sarjit feels there are several juniors who can perform on the senior team they will be absorbed,” he underlined.
