Down Under run-up for Asian Games
will head for Perth to play at least five friendlies against Australia in the run-up to the Jakarta Asian Games on Aug 19-Sept 1.
The Asian Games champions will receive direct entry into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Malaysia have set their mind on grabbing that prized ticket.
While Malaysia will play the Aussies, Asian Games rivals India and Pakistan are heading for the last edition of the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands on June 23-July 1.
The other Asian teams that Malaysia must beat for gold in Jakarta are South Korea, China and Japan (who have qualified for Olympics as hosts).
And when Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen was asked about India and Pakistan’s preparation, he said: “Both the teams will be getting maximum exposure at the Champions Trophy, and I expect them to gain important exposure playing against top teams in the world ahead of the Asian Games.”
The other teams in the Champions Trophy are the Netherlands, Australia (2014 World Cup champions), Argentina (2016 Olympic champions) and Belgium (2016 Olympic silver medallists).
But there is also a plus factor for Malaysia in the Champions Trophy, where India and Pakistan will play the first match.
“We will be able to watch Pakistan and India play in a real competitive tournament atmosphere and it will reveal how much both the teams have progressed and will also give us some insight on what to expect from them in Jakarta,” said van Huizen.
Pakistan have improved much under new Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans, as they held Malaysia to a 1-1 draw in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games recently.
The Champions Trophy, incepted in 1978 by Pakistan’s Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan and the Pakistan Hockey Federation, will be the last such tournament as the International Hockey Federation will no longer host it.
Malaysia will be trying to break their Asian Games gold jinx, as the highest the national team won was a silver in 2010 Guangzhou, China. Pakistan had then beaten Malaysia 2-0 and qualified for the 2012 London Olympics.