Tengku Ahmad is determined to make it to the Olympics
PETALING JAYA: Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil will definitely go “four” it in maybe his final attempt to play in the Olympic Games.
After three futile bids, the experienced forward hopes to kick-start Malaysia’s road to the Games by winning the FIH Series Finals at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil which starts on Friday.
The 32-year-old, who has 273 caps, said it has always been his dream to compete in the Olympics and with age catching up, he would do whatever it takes to get there.
“Winning the Series Finals is really important as it will take us to the next stage of qualification,” said Tengku Ahmad who made his international debut in 2006.
“We must not stumble especially when we are playing at home. Not qualifying for three Olympics is hard to swallow but I believe the rest of my teammates are also bent on making the cut. It’s been too long.
“We have to stay focused on our goal. The coach was right when he warned us not to underestimate our opponents.”
Tengku Ahmad also hoped the crowd would throng the stadium as they need every help they can get to win the title.
“We must make sure we perform well in our opener against Brazil. Once that happens, more fans will cobeing sidelined for six months due to a knee injury.
“I want to show that I’m still capable despite the long layoff. For three weeks, I’ve trained hard under Taeke Taekama (former Holland penalty corner specialist), and I can see a marked improvement.
“For now, Razie (Abd Rahim) and Faizal (Saari) are the main flickers. If I’m given the role, I am more than prepared.
“At the end of the day, I want Malaysia in the Olympics.”
Malaysia, ranked 13th in the world, will play Brazil (27th) in their Group B match on Friday.
The other teams in the group are China (14th) and Italy (32nd) while Group A comprise Canada (10th), Wales (24th), Austria (19th) and Belarus (31st).