I had received an e-mail from the VP of Selangor Hockey Association (SHA) and i think it is only appropriate to draw attention of such a Carnival to the readers of the blog. Kindly spread the message not only to get the teams to participate but also to get "hockey lovers" to be there.
Text of message as follows:
"Greetings from Selangor Hockey Association.
We are pleased to extend the invitations to the Selangor Veterans Open Hockey Carnival 2010 scheduled to be held on April 3, Saturday at Stadium Hoki Pandamaran.
The tournament is open to the first 20 teams to pay the entry fee anconfirm their entry. There will be a loser's pool as well.
The entry form, Tournament flyer and informational booklet is attached.These are also available in the SHA official web page effective February20th. www.sha.com.my
The informational booklet attached covers all aspects of TournamentInformation, Accommodation, Tournament Rules, Code of Conduct, Fixtures,Maps and Emergency Contact number
For outstation teams, we have made arrangement with hotel for exclusivelow rates for this tournament at your convenience.
I look forward to your feedback and support. Please feel free to spreadthe word to interested teams
Thank you
Kuganeson Poologasingam
Vice President
Selangor Hockey Association
016-5517100
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Corporate personalities in TNB & Sapura who bring the "best" to hockey.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) became the winner of the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) final last Friday 12th February by beating Sapura 4-2 on penalty flicks after the game remained drawn at 1-1 following extra-time. Effectively TNB won the TNB Cup and the TNB management hierarchy led by their CEO & President would have been in ecstatic mood. More interesting is that the CEO had rushed all the way from KLIA at the right moment to provide the support for his boys.
Interesting looking at the game itself. it was about retired experience stars from Sapura taking on the young national stars of TNB. It would seem that experience would prevail in the match but Sapura did not have the ultimate "killer" instinct to finish the match. On the other side TNB was a "clinical" team whose young stars could not find the way to crack the solid defence of the experience Sapura. At the end the determination to carry the Cup provided the right frame of mind to TNB players to find the net at the penalty flicks. It is probably the young boys were not tired out after extra-time and they were mentally strong to do the job. This is where probably experience lost out to the mental strength of the young boys.
The game itself would have been exciting if it was not for the Umpires. Their poor standard of controlling the game had an impact on the ultimate results. One thing is for sure and that is this whole MHL season the Umpires have performed "sub-standardly". So when the Chairman of Umpires Board stated this is the best they have and comparable to international standards, I think he was illogically defending the consistent pathetic performance of his members. Even on the "outside" chance he may be right, he may not realise that he may mean international hockey umpiring is also at a disastrous standard. I am sure that is not his thinking.
While TNB Management were celebrating with their boys, credit must go to the Chairman and to the CEO of Sapura for spending that extra moments with their boys after the prize presentation. The father and son team showed the best of corporate leadership by talking and consoling the boys at an empty stadium when the crowd had disappeared. Their human touch even in hour of defeat is a reflection of the caring nature of Sapura's corporate philosophy and all credit go to the father and son team. Such people must be invited to be in MHF as it would do MHF a world of good.
One other person who needs mentioning is Nor Saiful Zaini. A person who has tactfully remained in the background of late because of the policies of MHF with regards to national coaches. Notwithstanding that he is also Head of the Sports Unit of TNB and where hockey comes under his portfolio. It is probably his thinking in line with TNB's corporate philosophy that there is blend between the youth and the experienced in the TNB team. It is also provides the pathway for the next generation of young kids in view of TNB's Development programme referred to as "Thunderbolt". A programme that is nationwide where TNB gets schools involved in hockey by not only conducting coaching sessions but also equipping the schools with hockey kits.
Nor Saiful himself has been a colourful figure in Malaysian hockey having served the nation as a national player including Captain for nearly 15 years. One of the rare breed who was a speedy right wing and also a penalty corner hit specialist, represented the country at 3 Olympics and 4 Asian Games. The years in the national team makes him the most capped Malaysian hockey international and the record is still awaiting to be "broken". He was one of the selected Malaysian named in the "Asian All Star" team. Such is his credential as a hockey star.
Saiful is a religiously devout person, who does not impose his values on others, other than advising people accordingly if there is a need. This he believes is a religious plus human duty that he does it with good "niat". Sometimes, the guilt in people tend to misunderstand or misconstrue his intentions and this is why unsavoury remarks are made of him. If only the truth is known by people who spread such "tales" of the opportunities he had given certain personalities to redeem themselves before the final decisions were made. Unfortunately, these personalities do not help themselves and this part of the stories are conveniently hidden or forgotten thereby making Saiful a victim of circumstances.
Strangely it is people in MHF, like a long standing Vice President and certain members of the Coaching Committee who listen to "tales" and conduct themselves in an inhumane manner. Ironically, these are the people who do the least amount of proper work for MHF. They prefer the "politicking" and creating trouble, which is the their idea of work.
Whatever it may, Saiful is beyond all these and only those who feel insecure and threatened would want to destroy a good person's creditability. Saiful is a focused person and TNB winning the MHL final is an honour to Saiful's dedication to hockey. More so to a person who gives his best with good intention without any prejudicial thoughts and does things for the best of the game. What we need is more of "Saifuls" in the game.
Interesting looking at the game itself. it was about retired experience stars from Sapura taking on the young national stars of TNB. It would seem that experience would prevail in the match but Sapura did not have the ultimate "killer" instinct to finish the match. On the other side TNB was a "clinical" team whose young stars could not find the way to crack the solid defence of the experience Sapura. At the end the determination to carry the Cup provided the right frame of mind to TNB players to find the net at the penalty flicks. It is probably the young boys were not tired out after extra-time and they were mentally strong to do the job. This is where probably experience lost out to the mental strength of the young boys.
The game itself would have been exciting if it was not for the Umpires. Their poor standard of controlling the game had an impact on the ultimate results. One thing is for sure and that is this whole MHL season the Umpires have performed "sub-standardly". So when the Chairman of Umpires Board stated this is the best they have and comparable to international standards, I think he was illogically defending the consistent pathetic performance of his members. Even on the "outside" chance he may be right, he may not realise that he may mean international hockey umpiring is also at a disastrous standard. I am sure that is not his thinking.
While TNB Management were celebrating with their boys, credit must go to the Chairman and to the CEO of Sapura for spending that extra moments with their boys after the prize presentation. The father and son team showed the best of corporate leadership by talking and consoling the boys at an empty stadium when the crowd had disappeared. Their human touch even in hour of defeat is a reflection of the caring nature of Sapura's corporate philosophy and all credit go to the father and son team. Such people must be invited to be in MHF as it would do MHF a world of good.
One other person who needs mentioning is Nor Saiful Zaini. A person who has tactfully remained in the background of late because of the policies of MHF with regards to national coaches. Notwithstanding that he is also Head of the Sports Unit of TNB and where hockey comes under his portfolio. It is probably his thinking in line with TNB's corporate philosophy that there is blend between the youth and the experienced in the TNB team. It is also provides the pathway for the next generation of young kids in view of TNB's Development programme referred to as "Thunderbolt". A programme that is nationwide where TNB gets schools involved in hockey by not only conducting coaching sessions but also equipping the schools with hockey kits.
Nor Saiful himself has been a colourful figure in Malaysian hockey having served the nation as a national player including Captain for nearly 15 years. One of the rare breed who was a speedy right wing and also a penalty corner hit specialist, represented the country at 3 Olympics and 4 Asian Games. The years in the national team makes him the most capped Malaysian hockey international and the record is still awaiting to be "broken". He was one of the selected Malaysian named in the "Asian All Star" team. Such is his credential as a hockey star.
Saiful is a religiously devout person, who does not impose his values on others, other than advising people accordingly if there is a need. This he believes is a religious plus human duty that he does it with good "niat". Sometimes, the guilt in people tend to misunderstand or misconstrue his intentions and this is why unsavoury remarks are made of him. If only the truth is known by people who spread such "tales" of the opportunities he had given certain personalities to redeem themselves before the final decisions were made. Unfortunately, these personalities do not help themselves and this part of the stories are conveniently hidden or forgotten thereby making Saiful a victim of circumstances.
Strangely it is people in MHF, like a long standing Vice President and certain members of the Coaching Committee who listen to "tales" and conduct themselves in an inhumane manner. Ironically, these are the people who do the least amount of proper work for MHF. They prefer the "politicking" and creating trouble, which is the their idea of work.
Whatever it may, Saiful is beyond all these and only those who feel insecure and threatened would want to destroy a good person's creditability. Saiful is a focused person and TNB winning the MHL final is an honour to Saiful's dedication to hockey. More so to a person who gives his best with good intention without any prejudicial thoughts and does things for the best of the game. What we need is more of "Saifuls" in the game.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Well done MHF, this is the start. Sustaining the crowd is a question how MHF manages the performance of its national teams.
Friday 12th.February, was the grand finale of the 3 months of the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL). The publicity and the marketing of the event portraying a carnival spirit with young kids displaying their skills, the Royal Malaysian Navy(RMN) with its band putting together a mini tattoo show and the of course the lucky draw with prizes from motorcycles to airtickets became the peripheral attraction.. Combine this with the final between TNB and Sapura, while for 3rd and 4th was between Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Maybank, which brought a sizeable crowd of close to 5000 at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium. This is notwithstanding the fact that the games were telecast live.
It has been some time since such a large crowd had been present in Malaysian hockey and all credit must go to the person or persons in MHF who were behind organising it. The precise timing of the event ( barring the delay in the floodlights coming to full illumination after half time) plus the fanfare that came including the prize presentation is something new in MHF. There is obviously a new colourful thinking moving from certain mundane ways. More important is that there are some who are prepared to "stick their necks" out to make things happen.
There was a lot of criticism before the final particularly on the resources utilised to take the MHL to different towns and also on the attendance at matches particularly in Kuala Lumpur. The Friday night out to the hockey stadium by the crowd is a manifestation of people putting their minds and honestly addressing the issues, thereby creating scenarios that appeal to the crowd to come to the game. What was interesting was TNB had their sizeable supporters and they were vocal enough. Maybank too had their small crowd and there was a pocketful of Sapura's admirers.
In essence many who were there beyond the core supporters, were people who were attracted for some reason to be at the stadium. This is the result of effective marketing where publicity is a fundamental ingredient. When we are not a force in international hockey at any level, attendance is the yardstick of measurement of the popularity of the game. Friday night showed there is still the crowd for hockey and the key matter is how MHF is going to capitalise on it.
The sure way is to perform well in the international front. This is where basic issues of having the right people in the right positions does not only apply to officials but also to players. Hockey cannot afford another round of allegations of match fixing, betting or "Ah Long" businesses in the national squads or being a "bad" influence to younger players or partying late nights and coming to training with alcohol on their breaths. If this continues and MHF turns a blind eye to all these or remains lenient in taking disciplinary action then Malaysian hockey would go back to the "Dark Ages". The matter gets even more muddled as various officials start their canvassing for players particularly those who have been regarded as "bad apples". Indeed there were rumours spreading in the field how a team manager had sent sms messages soliciting for a particular player to be included in the future national team. The timing of course seems very coincidental as the new coaches were announced for the senior team.
Until and unless MHF officially settles the issues relating to the various allegations, it is unfair to Malaysian hockey and its supporters to be burdened in their mind with continuous suspicion. It is not only for the players involved in such allegations but also the other players, the fans and the future generation. This is something MHF has to understand and they should not take it that Malaysians have "short memories" and time would self resolve the issues.
If MHF wants the terraces in the hockey stadium to be filled it has a responsibility to the fans to ensure that they have the right players who are prepared to make the sacrifices to bring glory to Malaysian hockey in the world arena. MHF must understand that the players cannot sacrifice Malaysian hockey for their own selfish gains. This has to be seen from training, to free time to the game itself. Any "bad apples" in the team must be decisively and quickly ostracized from the onset such that professionalism prevails. This is a culture that needs to be inculcated to the team.
So the "ball" is back on MHF's feet and the crowd for hockey will be a reflection of how the national teams perform in the future and how MHF manages them. So MHf please do not let the Malaysian hockey fans down.
It has been some time since such a large crowd had been present in Malaysian hockey and all credit must go to the person or persons in MHF who were behind organising it. The precise timing of the event ( barring the delay in the floodlights coming to full illumination after half time) plus the fanfare that came including the prize presentation is something new in MHF. There is obviously a new colourful thinking moving from certain mundane ways. More important is that there are some who are prepared to "stick their necks" out to make things happen.
There was a lot of criticism before the final particularly on the resources utilised to take the MHL to different towns and also on the attendance at matches particularly in Kuala Lumpur. The Friday night out to the hockey stadium by the crowd is a manifestation of people putting their minds and honestly addressing the issues, thereby creating scenarios that appeal to the crowd to come to the game. What was interesting was TNB had their sizeable supporters and they were vocal enough. Maybank too had their small crowd and there was a pocketful of Sapura's admirers.
In essence many who were there beyond the core supporters, were people who were attracted for some reason to be at the stadium. This is the result of effective marketing where publicity is a fundamental ingredient. When we are not a force in international hockey at any level, attendance is the yardstick of measurement of the popularity of the game. Friday night showed there is still the crowd for hockey and the key matter is how MHF is going to capitalise on it.
The sure way is to perform well in the international front. This is where basic issues of having the right people in the right positions does not only apply to officials but also to players. Hockey cannot afford another round of allegations of match fixing, betting or "Ah Long" businesses in the national squads or being a "bad" influence to younger players or partying late nights and coming to training with alcohol on their breaths. If this continues and MHF turns a blind eye to all these or remains lenient in taking disciplinary action then Malaysian hockey would go back to the "Dark Ages". The matter gets even more muddled as various officials start their canvassing for players particularly those who have been regarded as "bad apples". Indeed there were rumours spreading in the field how a team manager had sent sms messages soliciting for a particular player to be included in the future national team. The timing of course seems very coincidental as the new coaches were announced for the senior team.
Until and unless MHF officially settles the issues relating to the various allegations, it is unfair to Malaysian hockey and its supporters to be burdened in their mind with continuous suspicion. It is not only for the players involved in such allegations but also the other players, the fans and the future generation. This is something MHF has to understand and they should not take it that Malaysians have "short memories" and time would self resolve the issues.
If MHF wants the terraces in the hockey stadium to be filled it has a responsibility to the fans to ensure that they have the right players who are prepared to make the sacrifices to bring glory to Malaysian hockey in the world arena. MHF must understand that the players cannot sacrifice Malaysian hockey for their own selfish gains. This has to be seen from training, to free time to the game itself. Any "bad apples" in the team must be decisively and quickly ostracized from the onset such that professionalism prevails. This is a culture that needs to be inculcated to the team.
So the "ball" is back on MHF's feet and the crowd for hockey will be a reflection of how the national teams perform in the future and how MHF manages them. So MHf please do not let the Malaysian hockey fans down.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Do our local hockey coaches have the necessary knowledge? If not, is there a "pathway" for them to acquire such knowledge?
Lately there has been much talk of coaches and part of it relates to local coaches against the appointment of a foreign coach. People have taken sides while others may be more concerned with the standard of hockey. While the debate continues, it is all about names that are being floated around, not about what qualities the coaches should have or have. This is where we miss the obvious aspects and straight jump to personalities. More often than not we start the whole exercise with the wrong end of the stick ie we do not list the needed requirements of a coach and then find the candidate to fit the position.
It is this failure that demobilises us from searching for excellence. Once excellence is compromised, we have lost sight of the concept of being world class. This eventually means that we are a mediocre set-up that are happy with the "crumbs". It is the lack of a vision and also determination in MHF to implement the concepts of excellence that has kept Malaysian hockey in a dogma. Coaches come and go but there is no clear pathway or infrastructure to develop coaches with the right qualities embodying the appropriate knowledge so that they inculcate the principles of excellence in their DNA. If this is achieved than everything they do carries with it the trademark of "excellence".
Today if we take the coaches involved with the various national teams and also with the teams in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), it is glaring that all sorts of people are involved. The question is whether they have the requirements to coach the top teams. Maybe if i list some requirements, people may appreciate my views.
A good coach needs to have the following:
It is this failure that demobilises us from searching for excellence. Once excellence is compromised, we have lost sight of the concept of being world class. This eventually means that we are a mediocre set-up that are happy with the "crumbs". It is the lack of a vision and also determination in MHF to implement the concepts of excellence that has kept Malaysian hockey in a dogma. Coaches come and go but there is no clear pathway or infrastructure to develop coaches with the right qualities embodying the appropriate knowledge so that they inculcate the principles of excellence in their DNA. If this is achieved than everything they do carries with it the trademark of "excellence".
Today if we take the coaches involved with the various national teams and also with the teams in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), it is glaring that all sorts of people are involved. The question is whether they have the requirements to coach the top teams. Maybe if i list some requirements, people may appreciate my views.
A good coach needs to have the following:
- Intimate knowledge of the game including the rules.
- Coaching qualification and the requirements follows the level of coaching.
- An experienced coach must have a success profile.
- Working knowledge in:
- Physical Education
- Sports Science
- Sports Information Technology
- Psychology
- Motivational Sciences
5. Knowledge of:
- Bio-mechanics
- Bio-medicine
- Nutrition and Diet
6. Some understanding of "kinanthropometry" ie interface between anatomy and movement.
7. Analytical outlook to appraise the opponents style of play and tactics.
8. Communicating skills.
9. Sense of justice ie fair play.
10. A strategical mind.
It is a tall order but so is "excellence". This is where the coaches' hunger for knowledge comes into play and how they equip themselves is fundamental. If one pursues a Sports Science degree in reputed Universities, most of the subject matter would be covered.
Unless the coaches are made up of such mentality, it would be difficult to expect the players to strive for excellence. After all the definition of a "coach" is to train someone. If the trainer is not adequately knowledgeable, how can he disseminate the finer points of the game to his charges.
Time and time again MHF has overlooked this point. What is more disturbing is when they had the foreign coaches, MHF did not put in place a system to get the rightly qualified local coaches to be part of a broader training programme. The failure to properly train the "trainer" reflects the current status of the decline in standard of Malaysian hockey. Fundamentally we have not kept in pace with the changing phases of hockey over the years.
Now, it is rumoured that we would be getting a highly recognised foreign coach. I hope that with such a coach not only our players would benefit but also our local coaches. A detailed programme must be developed with the foreign coach taking every key facet in hockey which coaches must know as a sacrosanct rule. This programme must become the "core" syllabus for training our new breed of coaches. The programme must be continuously re-engineered to take account of the prevailing changes in the game so as we do not lag behind. This is a challenge MHF has to take up if they want to make the paradigm shift to excellence ie become a world class hockey nation. Maybe it should start first with the Coaching Committee.
Monday, February 8, 2010
KLHC's defeat by Sapura - "Is Malaysian hockey in crisis?"
The 2-leg semi-finals of the MHL has brought out some interesting dimensions. The 4 teams who were involved probably has the best hockey players in Malaysia from current internationals both senior and junior plus age group blended with experienced former internationals. TNB played Maybank whilst Sapura took on Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC).
On paper TNB had a well balanced side of 2 former internationals with 4 current internationals and the rest were age group players. As for Maybank they relied heavily on their former internationals supported by at least 2 current internationals. The score for both the legs was a 2-1 win for TNB and 2-2 draw for the 2nd match, but sadly the umpires carried the day with the poor quality of umpiring. These are our Class 1 umpires and yet their display was of such a pathetic nature, they seem to give the distinct impression that they were absolutely novice in the field.
If not for the umpires , both the games were good and TNB had that extra edge. To be fair Maybank put up a great fight and credit should go to their Gobinathan, who was playing with a hamstring tear for both the matches. One person who needs mentioning in TNB is their young talent Faizal Shaari whose skill with the ball was outstanding. He remained a continuous threat to Maybank. This is a player who i believe would go places.
A special mention must be made of the CEO of Maybank and his team for finding the time to be at the 1st leg. What was interesting is that he spent time with the players before the game and thereafter sat with their small band of Maybank supporters at the terrace. Great to see him coming to support his team and doing things the simple way without any fuss.
Sapura's game against KLHC was dubbed as the game between Sapura and "Malaysia". The reason being KLHC literally has the Malaysian national players ie combination of seniors and juniors. Whereas Sapura were carrying about 7 former internationals led by Kuhan and had with them the wealth of experience. On top of it, acting as consultant for Sapura was Stephen Van Huizen, a former national coach who has the "Midas" touch with every team he has worked with. So this was a game of former internationals against the current internationals.
On paper, it should have been a simple job for KLHC. Unfortunately this was the team that was given all the resources, at the envy of the other teams. They not only played for Malaysia but they were paid unbelievable salaries and training allowance by their club for much longer periods than other teams or the league itself. Some were even given a lump sum and all of these encouraged them to be influenced by undesirable activities which has sparked off discipline issues. This was the problem with the national team and people wonder whether this was something that grew its roots at the club level. It would seem that once the appetite is full and life is filled with vices there is lack of " hunger" to perform. Was this KLHC's dilemma?
I pose this question as KLHC lost 4-2 to Sapura in the 1st leg and drew 1-1 in the 2nd leg, losing in aggregate 5-3. Yes! the national team lost to the retired internationals and what a ramification it would be for Malaysian hockey. What complicated matters is the "dual" system of control adopted by KLHC in controlling and influencing the team. Officially there was a coach and team manager at the bench yet, at the terraces, the "powers to be" in KLHC were "dishing" out instructions to the team. The "invisible" coach and manager was up at the terraces trying to circumvent policies of MHF and rules of ethics including conflict of interest. What is surprising is that everyone knew about it and so why have such an elaborate system to play the "hide and seek". These are the sort of "play acting" that young players notice and copy in their acts of "ill discipline" ie "what is good for the goose is good for the gander".
All this "hide and seek" choreographed by KLHC team management has come to haunt them as the players miss training or take a "tidak apa" attitude to the game. Team management have put themselves in an awkward position and this is where players tend to take advantage of the situation. Indeed stories have emerged from KLHC sources that players do not care much of the advice of their official coach. They even go to the extent of abusing his personal items when the official coach puts his foot down. In short, the players in KLHC are not an easy lot as they are already "prima donnas" and the younger ones are following suit.
In a way this explains some of the antics that took place in the field at the 1st leg. They were completely "stunned" when Sapura equalised and took the lead to 4-1. KLHC was totally demoralised and strangely a number of players were "out of position". The "hunger" to perform or fight back was not there in KLHC. Chua Boon Huat must be credited for trying to lift the spirit of the KLHC's lads but with little success other than minimising the defeat to 4-2.
Sapura on the other hand tactically moved Jiwa Mohan to defence and Shankar to half-line. This gave Kuhan more breathing space over the 2 half thereby ensuring Sapura's defence remain intact. In the forward line Rodnizam, Pon and supported by Mike were fast enough to get the penalty corners for Kuhan to strike. Meantime Vijiyan kept KLHC's penalty corner battery from making any deadly strikes with his speedy run-out. Sapura's players played with a purpose ie the pride to win and the presence of their Chairman obviously was a big booster.
For the 2nd leg, one need not be a "rocket scientist" to know that KLHC would be coming in "waves" to Sapura's territory to turn the results around. Sapura meantime decided to pack their 25 yd with their entire team thereby giving less room for KLHC to maneuver through the centre. It would seem Stephen Van Huizen and Sapura's coach Prakash may have planned this strategy thereby forcing KLHC to use the "flanks". This would be a wise tactic for Sapura as it relieved the pressure in the centre and gave more breathing space for the main defenders,. KLHC fell into the trap from start to finish and if there was any success it was the 9 penalty corners they earned. They could only convert one while they fumbled on the rest with too many unnecessary set-pieces. They did not play to their strength of direct conversion. Equally Nashihin, Sapura's goalkeeper was in marvellous form.
KLHC remained clueless and aimless and acting like "zombies" not knowing what to do. The more waves of attack they threw on Sapura, Sapura became more dangerous on the breakaway and that is how they equalised through a penalty corner they earned. Sapura maintained the 2 goal aggregate lead and KLHC could not find the way to crack Sapura's defensive wall. Effectively the so called "mighty" KLHC was brought to the ground to taste a defeat that they themselves may not have anticipated. "Goliath" of Malaysian hockey ie KLHC was brought to its kness while Sapura became Malaysia's "David".
KLHC's defeat raises a number of questions. In a nutshell it all falls back to the issue of whether "dollars and cents" is the answer to get players to become good hockey players or a combination of other factors. One of which is team management has to be honest in their acts rather then wanting to be just popular. This way they choose to avoid controversies thereby expecting to remain in the good books of players. The hope is that the players remain in the team thereby ensuring the team has strength. All that is good but if you have "bad apples" in the basket and nothing is done about it, the other apples may also get bad. Could this be the moral of the story of KLHC? It is for us to think about because with KLHC's defeat, it means Malaysia's national team had lost and this also at a domestic league. So what is our hope in the international arena with these sort of players?
It is not yet a crisis in Malaysian hockey but the writing is on the wall. So, MHF take note and do the needful or not we would be inviting the "crisis".
On paper TNB had a well balanced side of 2 former internationals with 4 current internationals and the rest were age group players. As for Maybank they relied heavily on their former internationals supported by at least 2 current internationals. The score for both the legs was a 2-1 win for TNB and 2-2 draw for the 2nd match, but sadly the umpires carried the day with the poor quality of umpiring. These are our Class 1 umpires and yet their display was of such a pathetic nature, they seem to give the distinct impression that they were absolutely novice in the field.
If not for the umpires , both the games were good and TNB had that extra edge. To be fair Maybank put up a great fight and credit should go to their Gobinathan, who was playing with a hamstring tear for both the matches. One person who needs mentioning in TNB is their young talent Faizal Shaari whose skill with the ball was outstanding. He remained a continuous threat to Maybank. This is a player who i believe would go places.
A special mention must be made of the CEO of Maybank and his team for finding the time to be at the 1st leg. What was interesting is that he spent time with the players before the game and thereafter sat with their small band of Maybank supporters at the terrace. Great to see him coming to support his team and doing things the simple way without any fuss.
Sapura's game against KLHC was dubbed as the game between Sapura and "Malaysia". The reason being KLHC literally has the Malaysian national players ie combination of seniors and juniors. Whereas Sapura were carrying about 7 former internationals led by Kuhan and had with them the wealth of experience. On top of it, acting as consultant for Sapura was Stephen Van Huizen, a former national coach who has the "Midas" touch with every team he has worked with. So this was a game of former internationals against the current internationals.
On paper, it should have been a simple job for KLHC. Unfortunately this was the team that was given all the resources, at the envy of the other teams. They not only played for Malaysia but they were paid unbelievable salaries and training allowance by their club for much longer periods than other teams or the league itself. Some were even given a lump sum and all of these encouraged them to be influenced by undesirable activities which has sparked off discipline issues. This was the problem with the national team and people wonder whether this was something that grew its roots at the club level. It would seem that once the appetite is full and life is filled with vices there is lack of " hunger" to perform. Was this KLHC's dilemma?
I pose this question as KLHC lost 4-2 to Sapura in the 1st leg and drew 1-1 in the 2nd leg, losing in aggregate 5-3. Yes! the national team lost to the retired internationals and what a ramification it would be for Malaysian hockey. What complicated matters is the "dual" system of control adopted by KLHC in controlling and influencing the team. Officially there was a coach and team manager at the bench yet, at the terraces, the "powers to be" in KLHC were "dishing" out instructions to the team. The "invisible" coach and manager was up at the terraces trying to circumvent policies of MHF and rules of ethics including conflict of interest. What is surprising is that everyone knew about it and so why have such an elaborate system to play the "hide and seek". These are the sort of "play acting" that young players notice and copy in their acts of "ill discipline" ie "what is good for the goose is good for the gander".
All this "hide and seek" choreographed by KLHC team management has come to haunt them as the players miss training or take a "tidak apa" attitude to the game. Team management have put themselves in an awkward position and this is where players tend to take advantage of the situation. Indeed stories have emerged from KLHC sources that players do not care much of the advice of their official coach. They even go to the extent of abusing his personal items when the official coach puts his foot down. In short, the players in KLHC are not an easy lot as they are already "prima donnas" and the younger ones are following suit.
In a way this explains some of the antics that took place in the field at the 1st leg. They were completely "stunned" when Sapura equalised and took the lead to 4-1. KLHC was totally demoralised and strangely a number of players were "out of position". The "hunger" to perform or fight back was not there in KLHC. Chua Boon Huat must be credited for trying to lift the spirit of the KLHC's lads but with little success other than minimising the defeat to 4-2.
Sapura on the other hand tactically moved Jiwa Mohan to defence and Shankar to half-line. This gave Kuhan more breathing space over the 2 half thereby ensuring Sapura's defence remain intact. In the forward line Rodnizam, Pon and supported by Mike were fast enough to get the penalty corners for Kuhan to strike. Meantime Vijiyan kept KLHC's penalty corner battery from making any deadly strikes with his speedy run-out. Sapura's players played with a purpose ie the pride to win and the presence of their Chairman obviously was a big booster.
For the 2nd leg, one need not be a "rocket scientist" to know that KLHC would be coming in "waves" to Sapura's territory to turn the results around. Sapura meantime decided to pack their 25 yd with their entire team thereby giving less room for KLHC to maneuver through the centre. It would seem Stephen Van Huizen and Sapura's coach Prakash may have planned this strategy thereby forcing KLHC to use the "flanks". This would be a wise tactic for Sapura as it relieved the pressure in the centre and gave more breathing space for the main defenders,. KLHC fell into the trap from start to finish and if there was any success it was the 9 penalty corners they earned. They could only convert one while they fumbled on the rest with too many unnecessary set-pieces. They did not play to their strength of direct conversion. Equally Nashihin, Sapura's goalkeeper was in marvellous form.
KLHC remained clueless and aimless and acting like "zombies" not knowing what to do. The more waves of attack they threw on Sapura, Sapura became more dangerous on the breakaway and that is how they equalised through a penalty corner they earned. Sapura maintained the 2 goal aggregate lead and KLHC could not find the way to crack Sapura's defensive wall. Effectively the so called "mighty" KLHC was brought to the ground to taste a defeat that they themselves may not have anticipated. "Goliath" of Malaysian hockey ie KLHC was brought to its kness while Sapura became Malaysia's "David".
KLHC's defeat raises a number of questions. In a nutshell it all falls back to the issue of whether "dollars and cents" is the answer to get players to become good hockey players or a combination of other factors. One of which is team management has to be honest in their acts rather then wanting to be just popular. This way they choose to avoid controversies thereby expecting to remain in the good books of players. The hope is that the players remain in the team thereby ensuring the team has strength. All that is good but if you have "bad apples" in the basket and nothing is done about it, the other apples may also get bad. Could this be the moral of the story of KLHC? It is for us to think about because with KLHC's defeat, it means Malaysia's national team had lost and this also at a domestic league. So what is our hope in the international arena with these sort of players?
It is not yet a crisis in Malaysian hockey but the writing is on the wall. So, MHF take note and do the needful or not we would be inviting the "crisis".
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Retired international players who have made an impact in the MHL.
It is a pity that some players, although young, seem to have prematurely retired from international hockey, while others gracefully left with the catching-up of age. Maybe they cannot get use to the "regimented" style of centralized training for days, months and years or they do not have the "hunger" to don national colours for whatever reasons or are just fed-up with too much of international hockey. Yet! we cannot overlook this and not comment on their performances in the current MHL.
The 1st of whom i feel needs to be mentioned and i consider as the "heartbeat" of TNB is Tajol Rosli. A player who left national hockey at a young age of 23 or 24 is performing superbly for his employer. His "mati mati" style of play with his penetrating moves gives TNB that extra edge in the game. He is fast enough to capitalise on the "gaps" in opponents' defence and tactically open the game for his colleagues. What is also interesting is that he is a "source" of inspiration for the team.
Another player in TNB who needs mentioning is Kalliswaran. As he ages he seems highly matured in his approach to the game. He is majestic in his movements and controls the team's play carefully. A much "cooler" person these days, he does things intelligently probably recognising the slight excess weight in him. Still he is a "force" to reckon .
At Maybank, it is without doubt Suhaimee. Again a player who "hung" up his hockeystick at an early age, he still has the skills of his younger days. Obviously he lacks the fitness but yet he is able to use his intelligence and economise his efforts for deadly moves or to permit the clock to run down in favour of his team. Suhaimee's style these days is like a "rhino" on the charge and more often than not he is able to "stampede" the opposing players.
Another arsenal available to Maybank is the ever versatile and lively Gobinathan. The "Ipoh mari" player provides a stability to Maybank in defence and brings an added dimension to their penalty corner battery. Gobi is much slower these days but he uses his body accordingly to slow down his opponents too. A player who has the ability to motivate his teammates, he too on occasions tends to charge down the opposing team's territory to "mark" out his ground. This indeed makes his presence felt in the game.
In Sapura, there is the ever-present towering figure of Kuhan. More sluggish these days but a great "fighter", he does not give up easily. With age his penalty corners have lost the "sting" but his presence in Sapura's battery gets opponents worried. He is excellent in the 1st half of any match but his fitness severely handicaps his movements in the last 15 minutes of most matches where he gets "short fused" fast. He is still enjoyable to watch.
Rodnizam is another former international who left the international scene at a young age. Today, he seems to show skills that were not there in the years when he was an international. It is probably the maturity with time plus now he has the freedom to think and play. Obviously not at his peak, fitness is an issue but he somehow finds the way to cope by adjusting his style. There is no doubt he is an important cog in Sapura's machine.
These players would be playing significant roles with their teams this weekend at the semifinals of the MHL. Some or all of them may make the difference between winning and losing for their teams. What is important is to see these former internationals still having the spirit to play and give their best for their clubs. Well done lads and Best of Luck.
The 1st of whom i feel needs to be mentioned and i consider as the "heartbeat" of TNB is Tajol Rosli. A player who left national hockey at a young age of 23 or 24 is performing superbly for his employer. His "mati mati" style of play with his penetrating moves gives TNB that extra edge in the game. He is fast enough to capitalise on the "gaps" in opponents' defence and tactically open the game for his colleagues. What is also interesting is that he is a "source" of inspiration for the team.
Another player in TNB who needs mentioning is Kalliswaran. As he ages he seems highly matured in his approach to the game. He is majestic in his movements and controls the team's play carefully. A much "cooler" person these days, he does things intelligently probably recognising the slight excess weight in him. Still he is a "force" to reckon .
At Maybank, it is without doubt Suhaimee. Again a player who "hung" up his hockeystick at an early age, he still has the skills of his younger days. Obviously he lacks the fitness but yet he is able to use his intelligence and economise his efforts for deadly moves or to permit the clock to run down in favour of his team. Suhaimee's style these days is like a "rhino" on the charge and more often than not he is able to "stampede" the opposing players.
Another arsenal available to Maybank is the ever versatile and lively Gobinathan. The "Ipoh mari" player provides a stability to Maybank in defence and brings an added dimension to their penalty corner battery. Gobi is much slower these days but he uses his body accordingly to slow down his opponents too. A player who has the ability to motivate his teammates, he too on occasions tends to charge down the opposing team's territory to "mark" out his ground. This indeed makes his presence felt in the game.
In Sapura, there is the ever-present towering figure of Kuhan. More sluggish these days but a great "fighter", he does not give up easily. With age his penalty corners have lost the "sting" but his presence in Sapura's battery gets opponents worried. He is excellent in the 1st half of any match but his fitness severely handicaps his movements in the last 15 minutes of most matches where he gets "short fused" fast. He is still enjoyable to watch.
Rodnizam is another former international who left the international scene at a young age. Today, he seems to show skills that were not there in the years when he was an international. It is probably the maturity with time plus now he has the freedom to think and play. Obviously not at his peak, fitness is an issue but he somehow finds the way to cope by adjusting his style. There is no doubt he is an important cog in Sapura's machine.
These players would be playing significant roles with their teams this weekend at the semifinals of the MHL. Some or all of them may make the difference between winning and losing for their teams. What is important is to see these former internationals still having the spirit to play and give their best for their clubs. Well done lads and Best of Luck.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
UniKL - "Are they a glimmer of hope for Malaysian hockey?"
The results of the MHL quarter-finals last weekend saw the obvious teams make it to the semis. They are KLHC, TNB, Sapura and Maybank. One need not visit and pay a fortune teller or a tarot card reader to predict which teams would have qualified. Among them they share the bulk of the national players ie seniors and juniors plus former internationals. On a "weighted" basis there is no doubt it favours KLHC.
The weekend for hockey seems to have given much of its attention to newcomers UniKL, who were pitted to take on the once mighty Maybank. Although the media seems to have played up the hopes of the young UniKL with an average age of 22 years and seemly giving the impression that the "tiger" in Maybank may be "toothless thereby losing its bite. They may not have been wrong for on the 1st leg the young novice team to MHL stretched Maybank with a 4-4 draw.
Many watching the match felt that UniKL should have "killed" the game much earlier and won. Unfortunately UniKL is made up in the main by Project 2013 players and some National Juniors. Due to their lack of experience and the "killer instinct", they were unable to finish off Maybank.
On the other side, as the years go by Maybank is losing its grip as a "force" in Malaysian hockey. In recent years they have been seen as "spoilers" for teams trying to battle for position. Having a few former internationals in the right positions combined with a few young internationals they have the combination of experience and stability to act as a major "hurdle" to the ultimate winners. It is exactly this that derailed the young UniKL in the 2nd leg of the quarter-finals where Maybank won 2-0.
Essentially what Maybank did was to control the "raw gusty" style of play of UniKL by ensuring that their freedom of running with the ball and taking on players was frequently interrupted. This essentially slowed the momentum of the game and the young boys were at a loss as to what to do. Meantime as Maybank broke UniKL's attack they had the experience on the "breakaway" to be goal searching and were successful. Even at the last 5 minutes of the game, UniKL had 6 penalty corners at a continuous stretch and they did not have a clue what to do. Maybank were merrily happy with the penalty corners as the situation provided the time to tick away.
UniKL team is like an "uncut" diamond that needs substantial "cutting" and "polishing" before it can glitter. There is no doubt that their Consultant - Mirnawan Nawawi and their Coaches - Vicki, Enbaraj and a Caucasian have worked hard on them. What is important is whether the "diamonds" of UniKL had fissure, which means any amount of 'cutting" and "polishing" would not help in the process of making the diamonds marketable.
I raise this because the UniKL team seems to have some major drawbacks:
The weekend for hockey seems to have given much of its attention to newcomers UniKL, who were pitted to take on the once mighty Maybank. Although the media seems to have played up the hopes of the young UniKL with an average age of 22 years and seemly giving the impression that the "tiger" in Maybank may be "toothless thereby losing its bite. They may not have been wrong for on the 1st leg the young novice team to MHL stretched Maybank with a 4-4 draw.
Many watching the match felt that UniKL should have "killed" the game much earlier and won. Unfortunately UniKL is made up in the main by Project 2013 players and some National Juniors. Due to their lack of experience and the "killer instinct", they were unable to finish off Maybank.
On the other side, as the years go by Maybank is losing its grip as a "force" in Malaysian hockey. In recent years they have been seen as "spoilers" for teams trying to battle for position. Having a few former internationals in the right positions combined with a few young internationals they have the combination of experience and stability to act as a major "hurdle" to the ultimate winners. It is exactly this that derailed the young UniKL in the 2nd leg of the quarter-finals where Maybank won 2-0.
Essentially what Maybank did was to control the "raw gusty" style of play of UniKL by ensuring that their freedom of running with the ball and taking on players was frequently interrupted. This essentially slowed the momentum of the game and the young boys were at a loss as to what to do. Meantime as Maybank broke UniKL's attack they had the experience on the "breakaway" to be goal searching and were successful. Even at the last 5 minutes of the game, UniKL had 6 penalty corners at a continuous stretch and they did not have a clue what to do. Maybank were merrily happy with the penalty corners as the situation provided the time to tick away.
UniKL team is like an "uncut" diamond that needs substantial "cutting" and "polishing" before it can glitter. There is no doubt that their Consultant - Mirnawan Nawawi and their Coaches - Vicki, Enbaraj and a Caucasian have worked hard on them. What is important is whether the "diamonds" of UniKL had fissure, which means any amount of 'cutting" and "polishing" would not help in the process of making the diamonds marketable.
I raise this because the UniKL team seems to have some major drawbacks:
- While they are young and have the speed to take on their opponents, they do not have the skill to string passes as part of the tactical movements and operate as a cohesive team.
- There is neither leader nor "playmaker", while their half-line formation's role is very "hazy".
- Their penalty corner battery is weak because it is "aimless" which makes it "directionless", thereby losing the focus of goal scoring opportunities.
- The team does not understand the concept of the "killer instinct" when they are at or in front of the "D".
- The team's endurance fitness is suspect.
Essentially what UniKL team was doing was collecting the ball and running with it to the opponents goal-line. This obviously is a welcome change compared to the other teams but once at the "D" the players become "goal shy" and did not have the "killer instinct" to put the ball into the goal. This is where their "attack" formation crumbles and easily paves the way for counter attacks by opponents. This is where UniKL paid the price expensively.
I want to put this across because many people believe that the performance of UniKL provides the "ray of hope" for the future of Malaysian hockey. In desperate times even a small ray of hope is magnified to give the "hope" we are looking for. What we are doing is endeavouring to fix our thinking to the situation rather than allowing the situation to justify itself.
People who have played hockey or had something to do with hockey would not hesitate to state that the young boys of UniKL have a long way to go if they want to emulate the "Yogeswaran Babes" of the 1979 Malaysian Junior World Cup team that came 4th at Paris. If you take those lads 2 0r 3 years before 1979 and compare their standard of play to these boys from the 2013 Project Team, you would know exactly where they stand by the following words- "miles apart".
Having said what i had to say, i must also state that the UniKL boys can still be turned into future stars but the effort is harder and the pressure mounted to perform must be intelligently and psychologically undertaken. The grooming requires a sense of all round discipline particularly on training. Equally they must be given sufficient freedom to express their inherent strength of running with the ball and taking on players provided they incorporate the skill of creating tactical movements as part of an attack formation by learning how to acquire the "killer instinct". Similarly, the half-line and the backs must be taught to understand their effective role and how they fit into different game scenarios. At the same time there is no short-cut to success in penalty corners. The short corner battery at the minimum is required to do 100 attempts in the morning and 100 attempts in the evening to prefect their scoring skills.
Of course there are other aspects but this is a good starting point. The idea is to create that "ray of hope" and turn them into "shining stars" with time such that it provides the "glimmer" of hope that is much needed for Malaysian hockey at the world stage.
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