Terengganu trounce Sabah in MHL opener

TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) hammered Sabah 11-0 in the curtain-raiser of the men’s Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) yesterday.

Three matches were held under strict SOP at the fan-less National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The players and officials who are staying inside a sports bubble, had a different entrance from the media, and everyone kept their distance.

THT were slightly rusty, while Sabah relied on former MHL players Jiwa Mohan, B. Namasivayam and Baljit Singh Sarjab, but they were not much of a help.

THT, however, got the job done in slow motion, but their huge margin of victory was hardly convincing.

Faizal Saari, who had just recovered from Covid-19, opened the flood gates in the third minute via a penalty stroke.

The national forward added three more goals in the 40th, 41st and 55th minutes.

Shello Silverius, another THT player who came out of Covid-19 quarantine looking sharp, scored the second off a field attempt in the sixth minute before adding another in the 29th minute.

Akhimullah Anuar Esook (28th, 45th), Arif Syafie Ishak (34th), Sufi Ismat (51st) and Nukman Hakim (57th) were the other scorers.

“It was a slow start, and I expected it because the players had not played any matches since the Razak Cup (in September).

“However, they slowly got their act together, and the goals came,” said THT coach K. Rajan.

RESULTS — Nur Insafi 0 UiTM 3, Sabah 0 Terengganu Hockey Team 11, TNB Thunderbolts 0 Maybank 5.

FIXTURE — TODAY: Charity Shield: Tenaga Nasional v UniKL (8pm, Pitch I). * Match at National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. Jugjet Singh