The Speedy Tigers will play New Zealand and South Korea in two friendly matches that will serve as a crucial preparatory phase for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SAS Cup) from May 4-11 in Ipoh.
National senior team head coach Sarjit Singh said the Malaysians would play the Kiwis on May 1, and the Koreans the next day at SAS Hockey Stadium.
“We will announce the 18 players for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after the New Zealand match. Two other players will also be named on standby in the event of last-minute injuries,” added Sarjit.
The Black Sticks qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating Pakistan 3-2 in the third-place playoff at the qualifying tournament in Oman in January this year. Apart from host and defending champions Malaysia, the other teams competing in this 30th edition of the SAS Cup are Pakistan, Japan, Korea and Canada.
The national team resumed training on Tuesday (April 16) at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil after an eight-day break for the Hari Raya festival.
Sarjit stressed that forward Faizal Saari and his younger brother, Fitri, a midfielder, who are currently plying their trade for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Bangladesh League, will return home on April 19. The duo will resume training with the national team the following day.
The two other seniors in the squad are former team captain Marhan Jalil and goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman.
“Everybody has to fight for a spot. There will be no exceptions. We will downsize the team from 30 to 18 players, with two players on standby in case of last-minute injuries. We are still in training until April 25. The players will take a break on April 26-27 and we will leave for Ipoh on April 28.”
The team structure, said Sarjit, will consist of two goalkeepers, six defenders, between four and five midfielders, and four or five forwards.
“I hope these four senior players will be free of injuries and their fitness level is high. There is no reason why they should not be included in the first 11. They will form the core of the team. This is a new team that is being built around them. We have a lot of youngsters and we want the seniors to guide the younger players.”
“But that does not mean the four senior players should take it easy. Don’t get me wrong. Like everyone else they have to attend training sessions and we will monitor their performance. Trimming the squad down from 30 to 18 players is a difficult task and hopefully we make the right decision,” added Sarjit.
Apart from the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Sarjit said the players will also embark on a significant journey in the Nations Cup in Gniezno, Poland (May 31-June 9), and the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia (Sept 8-17).
“We will rotate the players in these two tournaments. Every player will be given the opportunity to perform. We have also arranged for friendly matches in Poland,” said Sarjit.
He added that defender Arif Syafie Ishak (ankle injury) and midfielders Mughni Kamal and T. Naaveennash Panicker (hamstring injuries) are undergoing rehabilitation.
“Naaveenash’s injury is not serious and he should recover soon, and as for Mugni I think he is not ready for the SAS Cup. We are monitoring Arif’s recovery process and will know by next week if he is ready to play. He has not been training and once he joins the team, we will be able to assess his progress,” Sarjit said.
On the request by national indoor hockey coach Rodhanizam Mat Radzi for the services of Speedy Tigers Shello Silverius and Norsyafiq Sumantri in his side for the Asia Cup in Kazakhstan, from May 21-25, Sarjit had this to say:
“There is no doubt that we are all in this together as one team. The indoor hockey team is also a national team. Our priority is to build a national field hockey team. If both players are selected for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, then both players first priority is the national field hockey team.”
“We have two tournaments – the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Six Nations. We will rotate the players for both tournaments. Then there is also the Asian Champions Trophy. We are building a strong team for the 2026 Asian Games so our priorities take a different path. This is our process to prepare a strong team.”
