Joel joins Nur Insafi in the MHL in order to get more playing time

PETALING JAYA: International hockey player Joel van Huizen (pic) has decided to join Nur Insafi to gain more playing time.

The 26-year-old midfielder was dropped from the UniKL squad after playing for them last season, and wants to continue playing in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) with Nur Insafi.

Calling it a new challenge, Van Huizen is looking to improve his game and helping his new team finished in the top four in the league.

“To me, this is a challenge for the new year. Looking at other squads, they look good on paper. We are going to take each game at a time.

“Right now, I aim to play well in every game,” said Van Huizen.

When asked what his expectations for the season are, the national player, who recently played in the World Cup said he wants to help the team do well in the league.

“It would be great if I can score in every game, but to me, numbers don’t really matter.

“Primarily, the team is important, and I just want to help Nur Insafi do well in the league.

“I was intrigued by their target of finishing in the top four and I would do my best to help them achieve the target,” he said.

The club from Penang have also recruited former Kuala Lumpur striker Syamim Mohd Yusof and experienced players like Ismail Abu, Baljit Singh, Harmeet Singh and Jiwa Mohan to beef up the team.