Matador Hockey Club boast of an impressive foreign lineup that is set to thrill fans in the 2025 TNB Malaysian Hockey League (TNB MHL) Premier Division which begins on January 4 until February 22.
Making their debut in the 10-team 2025 TNB MHL season, Matador will have the support of eight Pakistan’s senior and junior players who represented the Green Shirts in the 2024 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia, China, and the 2024 Junior Asia Cup (JAC) in Muscat, Oman.
Pakistan senior team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt will marshal the attacking machinery. He will be joined by Abdul Hannan Shahid, who captained the national junior side to a bronze medal in the JAC in Muscat, and penalty corner specialist Muhammad Sufyan Khan who scored 12 goals in Oman.
The other Pakistani players included are Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Zikriya Hayat, Usama Bashir, Rana Muhammad Waleed Ashraf and Abdul Manan. All eight players are expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on January 7.
Matador will also be led by two former internationals in Baljit Singh Charun and Jiwa Mohan.
Sabahan Adrian Andy Albert and Jasraj Singh are the goalkeepers while the youngest player in Matador is 15-year-old Arvind Zachary Steven, while Amandeep Singh and Ghirejdish Singh are 16-year-olds.
Matador manager is Sarwan Singh and coach is Yogeswaran Karupusamy, who guided Perak to being champions at the 2013 and 2014 Razak Cup, and runners-up in 2015. The team will open its TNB MHL campaign against Nurinsafi Sporting at the Bertam Hockey Stadium on January 15.
“We have several talented youngsters in the team, and if God willing, they will be part of the national team setup or maybe called up for training one day. That is part of our dream and we hope for the best,” said Sarwan during Matador’s training session at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
“We have gathered the most funds from our sponsors and we plan not to let them down. In this context, like all the other teams, we would be excited to qualify for the semi-finals.”
Commenting on the expected expenditure for the team competing in the TNB MHL, Sarwan said: “We are looking at between RM600,000 and RM700,000. We have got good support from sponsors, parents and friends. We are very much looking forward to the TNB MHL.”
He added that Baljit and Jiwa Mohan’s presence in the team is essential in guiding youngsters who lack exposure and experience. The Pakistanis are of a different level and we appreciate their willingness to guide youngsters also. This is a good opportunity for our juniors who will never get this kind of exposure,” stressed Sarwan.
The other teams competing in the Men’s Premier League are defending champions Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Terengganu Hockey Team (THT), Maybank, UiTM HA-KPT, Armed Forces, TNB Thunderbolts, Liaoning HT (China), and Northern Territory Stingers.
The men’s Charity Shield match on Jan 4 will be between TNB (League and TNB Cup champions) and THT (Runners-up in League and TNB Cup).
