Kumar out of FIH Series Finals
NATIONAL coach Roelant Oltmans has confirmed that national No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar will not be playing in next week’s FIH Series Finals in Bukit Jalil.
Kumar is recovering from a seven-centimetre muscle tear in his right thigh.
The Tenaga Nasional custodian sustained the injury during the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) in March.
The veteran also did not feature in the recent Azlan Shah Cup.
“I will name my squad (of 18 players) tomorrow (today), and while all the other injured players are back in training, Kumar has yet to recover from his problem,” said the Dutchman yesterday.
In Kumar’s absence, it looks like it would again be the combination of Hairi Rahman and Zaimi Mat Deris keeping goal, which leaves another 16 outfield spots to be decided.
As for Shukri Mutalib, the captain, who fractured his finger also in the MHL, is back in training.
Malaysia are in Group B with China, Brazil and Italy in the Series Finals, a pre-Olympic Qualifier, while Group A comprises Canada, Belarus, Wales and Austria.
Understandably, Kumar is disappointed but feels it is better for him to rest than to aggravate his injury.
“It’s a nasty tear. Even though I would have liked to represent the country, it is better that I rest and recover for future tournaments.
“My doctor has advised me to rest before padding up again.
“It is more difficult for a goalkeeper to recover from an injury like this because even after full recovery, I would need at least two weeks of training to get back into shape.
“And I have not padded up for more than two months since the MHL,” said Kumar.