The national hockey team travels to Germany today (July 6) from Antwerp, Belgium for the second phase of their Europe tour and coach Sarjit Singh feels his Speedy Tigers are playing good hockey and need to continue the momentum.
“There is no doubt the team played good hockey against the Belgium ‘B’ team in all three friendly matches. We won two hard-fought matches and lost one. What matters most is the performance of the team in every match,” said Sarjit after the Malaysians defeated the Belgians 3-2 in the third friendly match on Friday.
The Malaysians won the first match 3-2 (July 1), lost the second 2-4 (July 3) before finding their way back with another victory.
“There were exciting moments when we dominated the game while at times we had to fight hard to stop the Belgians from scoring. But the team is constantly improving in every match. We are using this Europe tour to give match experience to the team, especially to the younger players.”
“Belgium has two teams and they rotate their players in the FIH Hockey Pro League. We played some intense matches as we faced their experienced players. I’m proud of the way we performed. We must credit the team,” he said.
For the record, Belgium’s men finished off their FIH Hockey Pro League campaign on a triumphant note, recording a 5-3 win over World No 1 the Netherlands. The Red Lions finish fifth above Germany, while the Dutch ended the season in second spot. Australia won the title.
The Speedy Tigers head coach also applauded goalkeeper Muhamad Zaimi Mat Deris for an outstanding performance in the third and last match against Belgium.
“In the first two matches I gave both goalkeepers (Zaimi and Che Shahrul Azmi) equal opportunities in the four quarters but yesterday (Friday) I kept Zaimi throughout the match. He played well. Belgium had 10 penalty corner opportunities and scored one. We had one,” said Sarjit.
The Malaysians are heading into the Mochenglabach-leg of their Germany tour and can expect two tough matches. They are scheduled to play against the World No 5-ranked Germans in a Test match tomorrow (July 7) at the Glabach Hockey and Tennis Club (9.0pm Malaysian time).
The second match, a friendly, will be against Mochenglabach Hockey Club on July 9 (1.30am Malaysian time – 10th July).
“In all our matches on this Europe tour, we will be playing against players who have featured in the FIH Pro League. These are tough matches which will help our players gain experience. They (players) are aware that these matches will be crucial in our preparation to the 2026 Asian Games,” said Sarjit.
