MYSTERY MATCH
Malaysian players told not to underestimate Kazakhstan
THE Malaysian men’s hockey team will face a tricky situation when they play Kazakhstan in their opening Group B Asian Games match on Monday.
Kazakhstan are an unknown entity and there is little information on them as they were a late replacement for China who pulled out last month.
Malaysia’s vastly experienced goalkeeper S. Kumar said there is no reason to underestimate Kazakhstan although they are not a well-known hockey side.
Kumar, who will be playing in his fifth Asian Games, said his team need to go all out from the first match and not leave it late to secure full points.
He said the first ever meeting of the two teams should serve as a lesson for the players.
Kazakhstan first played in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima and shocked Malaysia 3-1 at the group stage. However, in the play-off, Malaysia beat them 50.
That defeat is certainly a blot on Malaysia’s record.
“I was surprised to learn that we had played them before and lost at the group stage. That’s why we must never take any team for granted, especially those ranked below us.
“We have completed our preparations and now it remains to show that we can play at the big stage,” said the 37-year-old Negri Sembilan player.
Kumar’s first Asiad was in 2002 in Busan. Since then he has played in 2006 Doha, 2010 New Delhi and 2014 Incheon. He has a silver medal (2010) and bronze (2002) to show for his efforts.
Kumar, who was converted from football to hockey keeper by the late V. Sivapathasundram in 1994 at the Tunku Besar Secondary School, has represented the country since 1998.
“My focus is on the Asian Games and I am determined to see the team do well.
“We have a gold medal target and that is fine with us. All the big teams in Jakarta want to do well and winning gold is a big deal, considering it comes with an automatic Olympics berth.
“We are no different. If we play it right, I do not see why we cannot achieve it,” he said.
The other teams in Group B are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, and Thailand. In Group A are India, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.