The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Paul Revington is glad to be back to train the Malaysian team
- Heavy task on Faizal’s shoulders
- Singapore Open: Chong Wei Feng fights to survive
| Paul Revington is glad to be back to train the Malaysian team Posted: 19 Jun 2013 05:02 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: The excitement at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday morning was palpable as coach Paul Revington returned to train the national hockey team. The national team are preparing for the World League semi-finals, which will be held at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru from June 29-July 7. The 40-year-old Revington, who was hired as national coach last September, said that it was "enjoyable" to be back to train the national team since he quit last Saturday. "The players were shocked when I quit the national team. Some of them could not believe it. But they were glad to see me return to training today (yesterday)," said the South African, who quit due to outside interference. Revington, whose contract expires in September next year, shocked the entire nation when he e-mailed his resignation to Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) coaching committee chairman Manjit Majid Abdullah last Saturday. But the committee rejected his resignation. Revington said that the meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Monday and National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong on Tuesday was fruitful. MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will meet Revington today. "Almost 85% of the problems have been settled. But a meeting with the MHC president will be good to resolve the matter," said Revington, who added that he would decide on his future after the World League semi-finals. What was surprising about Revington's resignation was his timing, having named 16 players for the World League semi-finals just a day earlier. Revington will name two more players tomorrow and the team will leave for Johor Baru to train at the Taman Daya Stadium on Monday. Malaysia will play two friendlies against Argentina and Germany on June 25 and June 26 respectively before opening their Group B campaign against Pakistan on June 29. Their other group matches are against South Africa (June 30) and England (July 2). Group A comprises world No. 1 Germany, South Korea, Argentina and Japan. The World League semi-finals offers the teams a chance to qualify for next year's World Cup in The Hague, Holland. Malaysia last featured in the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2002. |
| Heavy task on Faizal’s shoulders Posted: 19 Jun 2013 05:03 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: Diminutive forward Faizal Saari will have to shoulder the responsibility of getting the goals in the World League semi-finals at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru from June 29-July 7. The 23-year-old Tenaga Nasional player is a two-time top scorer in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) – last year (20 goals) and in 2011 (19 goals). And it will be up to him to deliver the goals – field and penalty corner – to help Malaysia qualify for next year's World Cup in The Hague, Holland. Eight teams, divided into two groups, will feature in the tournament and top three teams will qualify for the World Cup. It won't be easy for Malaysia though they are ranked 13th in the world. Malaysia, who last qualified on merit for the World Cup in Utrecht, Holland in 1998, are in Group B of the World League semi-finals with world No. 4 England, Pakistan (No. 5) and South Africa (No. 12). World No. 1 Germany are in Group A with South Korea (No. 8), Argentina (No. 10) and Japan (No.16). Faizal, of Terengganu, admitted that it would be a daunting task for them to finish in the top three and earn an automatic spot in the World Cup. "We have to play well in all three matches to finish top two in the group so that we'll face an easier opponent in the quarter-finals," said the skilful Faizal, who scored 17 goals in the MHL, which ended last month. "Although all the other three teams in our group are ranked higher than us, we will go all out to get the better of them," Malaysia will open the campaign against Pakistan on June 29. The last time these two teams met – in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in March – they drew 2-2. The national team played four Test matches against South Africa last month in Ransburg, with Malaysia drawing one – 4-4 – and losing three – 2-1, 3-2, 3-1. |
| Singapore Open: Chong Wei Feng fights to survive Posted: 19 Jun 2013 04:22 PM PDT PETALING JAYA: World No. 12 Chong Wei Feng spared Malaysia the blushes with a hard-fought win over India's R.M.V Gurusaidutt in the first round of the Singapore Open. The 26-year-old Wei Feng had to dig deep into his reserves before notching a 15-21, 21-18, 21-9 win over world No. 23 Gurusaidutt. The Kedahan started the match poorly, handing his opponent the advantage. Wei Feng then recovered well to hold his nerves to take the second game 21-18 before stepping it up against the exhausted Gurusaidutt for victory and a place in the second round. The reward for his steely determination is a clash against another rising Indian shuttler – B. Sai Praneeth, who knocked out second seed Hu Yun in the first round – for a place in the last eight. But while Wei Feng was triumphant, the other Malaysian singles shuttlers were woeful and crashed out early. World No. 13 Daren failed to lift his game against eighth seed Wang Zhengming of China, losing 15-21, 18-21 while Mohd Arif Abdul Latif blew a one-game lead to lose 21-17, 9-21, 12-21 to England's Rajiv Ouseph. Independent shuttlers – former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli and Tan Chun Seang – also fared badly, losing to Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana and Japan's Kento Momota respectively. In the men's doubles, eighth seeds Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah were outclassed by the in-form Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan. Ahsan-Setiawan, boosted by winning the Indonesian Open last week, easily won 21-19, 21-12 to set up a second round clash against Taiwan's Lee Sheng Mu-Tsai Chia Hsin. "V Shem-Khim Wah played well in the first game and were excellent at mid-courts. They were leading all the way but ran out of luck at the end ... often hitting the net," explained national doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her. "Ahsan-Setiawan then upped the pace in the second game and controlled it right from the start. "It's disappointing but they tried their best. Now, I just have to properly prepare them for the World Championships (in August)." In the women's singles, youngster Sonia Cheah's inexperience saw her throw away a one-game lead to lose 21-17, 9-21, 17-21 to world No. 6 Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea. Women's doubles shuttler Lim Yin Loo, however, brought joy to the Malaysian camp with two wins. First, she partnered Ong Jian Guo for a confident victory over South Koreans Kang Ji-wook-Shin Seung-chan in the mixed doubles before partnering Lee Meng Yean to beat India's Aparna Balan-N. Siki Reddy 18-21, 21-18, 21-6 in the women's doubles. |
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