Men’s team in line for programme upgrade

AFTER successfully qualifying for the men’s World Cup, the national hockey team will be considered for inclusion in the Podium Programme at the next review.

Hockey did not make the cut when the 2017 list of athletes and sports was unveiled in February with National Sports Institute podium director Tim Newenham saying the sport was not quite there yet under the updated selection criteria despite being ranked 13th in the world.

Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, said the situation has changed after Malaysia beat India 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the World League Semi-Finals in London on Thursday to seal a spot in the 2018 World Cup.

“Congratulations to the team in qualifying for the World Cup on merit which is a big achievement,” said Khairy on the sidelines of the Olympic Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“I see there has been a big improvement in the team under the current management with several impressive results. It shows that hockey is on the rise.

“I have requested that, after the Sea Games, the review committee for the Podium Programme consider hockey’s inclusion at the half-year point review.

“This must be based on the existing criteria and philosophy of the Podium Programme in which the sport is moving forward, but we will maintain the revolvingdoor concept where exclusion and inclusion can happen during the review.”

The Podium Programme is designed to provide world-class support for elite-level national athletes in order to achieve success.

Among the programme’s objectives are delivering Malaysia’s first gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, achieving top10 finishes in the medals table at the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and placing 10 athletes in the top-six of the world rankings.

Khairy also wished the national women’s team luck as they continue their battle at the World League Semi-Finals in Brussels.

“I also want to wish the best to the women’s team and hope they follow the example of the men’s team. They have shown that they can compete against the world’s best,” said Khairy. Devinder Singh