Malaysians turn it on
GEELONG hockey juniors had a taste of international competition on Sunday when a Malaysian under-16 school team visited Stead Park as part of a whirlwind tour of Victoria.
The squad from the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur, is in Australia at the invitation of its sister school, Maribyrnong Secondary College.
The five-day tour, also taking in a trip to Ballarat, caught everyone off-guard after BJSS secured last-minute funding that meant the trip had to happen before the end of the year.
Despite being in the off-season, Hockey Geelong managed to field a quality team of current and former junior representatives and some Premier League women’s juniors.
The BJSS squad, boasting seven Malaysian junior men’s
Hockey League titles since 2003, proved too strong for the young Sharks, winning 8-0.
Hockey Geelong junior co-ordinator Pam Sutton said she was proud of the way the young Sharks held their composure in a difficult match against such a talented opposition. “Given that it is our off-season, and some of our players hadn’t picked up a stick for several months, it was clear our fitness requires attention,’’ she said, adding the pace was not what the Geelong players were used to.
“The skills demonstrated by the BJ boys were of such high standard and clearly they are a well-drilled team, as one would expect from a national squad,’’ Sutton said.
After the game, tour organiser and Maribyrnong College hockey coach Andrew Smith praised the Geelong players for their resolve, revealing the BJSS boys train up to eight times a week year-round, both on field and in the gym for strength and conditioning exercises.
“The boys come from all over Kuala Lumpur and have been have identified as potential national athletes.
“Several of them have already represented Malaysia internationally,’’ Smith said.
“Though the game was dominated by the Malaysian team, there were some very good individual displays by the Geelong players.”–