Scoring goals the biggest concern for our women’s hockey squad

KUALA LUMPUR: The biggest challenge for the national women’s hockey team at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, is scoring goals.

They only managed a meagre two goals at the 2014 Glasgow Games – failing to score even one during the group stage where they lost to Australia (4-0), Scotland (2-0), England (5-0) and drew 0-0 with Wales.

Malaysia finally sounded the board in the playoff for seventh placing where they were tied 2-2 with Canada in regulation time, before winning 3-0 in a penalty shootout.

Forward Hanis Nadia Onn, who scored 14 goals to help Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten)-KPT win the league title in the National Women’s League last month, admitted that scoring goals would be their biggest concern in Gold Coast.

“But this time we are well prepared as we have been training hard and have played a number of tournaments,” said Hanis from Johor.

“We also did well to score 18 goals in six matches in the Asia Cup (in Kakamigahara, Japan, last November) to finish fifth.

“The team’s forwards have also shown their talent by scoring against teams that are ranked much higher than us,” said Hanis, who scored three in the Asia Cup.

In the opening match, Malaysia – ranked 22nd in the world – gave world No. 8 China a good fight before losing 5-4.

Hanis said that they had made steady progress since K. Dharmaraj took over as coach in January 2016.

“He has pushed us hard in training and want us to be sharper in the opponents’ semi-circle.

“I’m optimistic that we can do much better than in Glasgow,” said Hanis, who netted five goals to help Malaysia retain the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games gold medal.

In Gold Coast, Malaysia open their Group A campaign against world No. 10 India on April 6.

Their other matches are against world No. 14 South Africa (April 7), world No. 2 England (April 9) and World No. 26 Wales (April 11).

Hanis said that they needed at least a draw against Asia Cup champions India in the opening match.

“It will be tough but not impossible,” said Hanis.

In the Asia Cup in Kakamigahara last year, India defeated Malaysia 2-0.

The other forwards in the Malaysian team are Norazlin Sumantri, Nurul Nabihan Mansur, Nur Amirah Shakirah and Nur Syafiq Mohd Zain.

But this time we are well prepared as we have been training hard and have played a number of tournaments. Hanis Nadia Onn