Negri confident of reaching semifinals in Razak Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Negri Sembilan will not have the services of two national players, goalkeeper S. Kumar and midfielder Mohd Marhan Mohd Jalil for the Razak Cup hockey tournament.

But the former champions are still optimistic of reaching the Division One semi-finals when the tournament begins on Friday at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Kumar and Marhan are featuring in the Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat, Oman.

Team manager S. Chandran said they have other reliable players to put up a strong challenge in the oldest hockey tournament in the country.

Negri have included capable players like Muhd Rashid Baharom, goalkeeper Khairulnizam Ibrahim, former junior world cupper G. Kevin Kartik and two players, Muhd Luqman Hakim Muhd Asri and Mohd Zulhanizam Awang Abas, who played in the recent Sultan of Johor Cup.

They also have eight players who played in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Perak last month: Muhd Zulkarnain Mansur, Muhd Adhwa Mohd Jalil, Muhd Aiman Shami Marzuki, Mohd Faiq Nazwan Mohd Azhar, Muhd Isma Daniel Abdul Razak, Shahmie Irfan Suhaimi, Aiman Haquim Badrulhisham and Abdul Shafiq Abdul Razak.

“We have a well-balanced team and we are ready to give a good fight,” said Chandran. “We are in a tough group but we are optimistic of reaching the semi-finals.”