Gonzo over Gonzalo
Peillat-powered Terengganu set to give rivals endless worries
KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu, powered by penalty corner specialist Gonzalo Peillat, will be the team to beat in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The East Coast team have hired the 25-year-old Argentine – dubbed the world’s greatest penalty corner drag flicker – to beef up their challenge when the season begins next month.
The defender helped Argentina to their first-ever hockey gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics by netting 11 goals to emerge as the top scorer.
Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh
Sarjit Singh
said they were happy to engage his services.
“Peillat is not only expected to deliver goals from penalty corners but he’ll marshall the defence too,” said Sarjit.
Peillat is one of Terengganu’s six imports.
They have also hired three more Argentines – forward Guido Martin Barreiros and midfielders Pablo Javier Trevisan, Joaquin Menini. The others are defenders Moritz Ershad (Germany) and Ammad Shakeel Butt (Pakistan).
Terengganu will also have the services of three national players – goalkeeper Mohd Hafizuddin Othman and the Saari brothers – Mohd Fitri (midfielder) and Faizal (forward).
Peillat is also expected to play in the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup quarter-final match on Jan 4, a day after his arrival.
Defending champions Terengganu have received a first-round bye in the knockout tournament that will pit 15 teams from the Premier Division and Division One.
Terengganu are down to play either Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) or RMAF Rajawali in the quarter-finals.
There are four titles at stake in the MHL – Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup, Charity Shield, league and the TNB Cup.
This year, Terengganu won the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup by defeating Maybank 5-3 in the final.
They also won the TNB Cup when they edged Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 5-4 in a penalty shootout after both teams failed to break the 4-4 deadlock in regulation time.
Sarjit, who has helped Terengganu bag the double – the league and TNB Cup – several times, said they can expect a strong challenge from KLHC and UniKL this time.
“We will be happy if we can win one of the four titles,” he said.
Peillat is not only expected to deliver goals from penalty corners but he’ll marshall the defence too.