Norsharina out of Test matches against India

KUALA LUMPUR: Seasoned campaigner Raja Norsharina Raja Shabuddin (pic) will not feature in the five Test matches against India’s women hockey team at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The 28-year-old defender injured her knee during training and is definitely out of the today’s first Test and Saturday’s second match. The other three Test matches are on April 8, 10 and 11.

There are 23 players in the training squad and national coach K. Dharmaraj said all of them will get the chance to play in the Test matches.

“We will miss Norsharina. Her injury is not serious but we want her to have a good rest for a more important assignment – the World Series in Dublin, Ireland – in June, which is the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said Dharmaraj.

He added that goalkeeper Siti Zalia Nasir and forward Siti Zulaika Hussin will be getting their first cap after earning a call-up following their performance in the Under-18 Asian Youth Olympics qualifying tournament in Bangkok last year.

“They joined training five weeks ago and will make their international debut in the Test matches.

“The good news is that goalkeeper Farah Ayuni Yahya, who played for England club East Grindstead since February, has returned home for the Tests.

“The matches against India are very important as we want to gauge the team’s standard as they have not been playing competitively since the Asian Games in Jakarta last August.

“India are the highest ranked team in Asia and they are here with 15 of their players from the squad who won the silver medal at the Asian Games.

“We can expect a real good challenge from them.”

For the record Malaysia beat Thailand 2-0 in the fifth-place playoff at the Indonesian Asiad.