A timely boost

Syed Syafiq and four others return for Ipoh meet

KUALA LUMPUR: Former National Juniors defender Syed Mohamed Syafiq Syed Cholan is set to make his second outing with the senior national hockey team in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which starts in Ipoh on Saturday.

Syed Syafiq, who featured in the four- nation invitational in Melbourne, Australia, last November, had also played in the mixed national team in the Singapore SEA Games in 2015.

He was fielded in the second Test against New Zealand at the Tun Razak Stadium on Monday. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.

Four players who did not play in the World Hockey League Round Two are also back in the fray for the Ipoh meet.

They are goalkeeper S. Kumar (pic) and forwards Mohd Firhan Azhaari, Mohd Haziq Shamsul and Faizal Saari.

The five players dropped from the 23-man training squad are goalkeeper Mohd Hairi Abdul Rahman, Mohd Ramadan Rosli, Mohd Rashid Baharom, Mohd Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin and Joel van Huizen.

Hairi, Ramadan and Rashid are listed as substitutes in the event of any injury to the team.

National coach Stephen van Huizen was happy to see the return of players like Kumar, Haziq and Faizal for Ipoh meet.

“We did not have these players at

the World Hockey League Round Two in Dhaka. This is a good chance to assess them ahead of the World Hockey League Semi-Finals in London in June.

“I have also included Syed Syafiq ... he deserves it,” he said.

The other teams competing in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, from April 29-May 6, are New Zealand, Australia, India, Britain and Japan.

Malaysia, who have never won the tournament and finished runners-up five times, were fourth last year and will open their campaign against Japan on Saturday.

All six teams in the tournament have qualified for the World Hockey League Semi-Finals.

Malaysia, Britain, India and New Zealand will play in the first SemiFinals in London from June 15-25 while Australia and Japan will play in the second Semi-Finals in Johannesburg, South Africa, in July.