Syarman hopes to get his act right in Razak Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Syarman Mat Tee (pic) wants to raise his game a notch higher for Terengganu in the Razak Cup to win a place in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Johor Baru from Oct 12-19.

He hopes to get his act right after being dropped from the men’s indoor hockey team for the Philippines SEA Games.

Syarman said he took his place in the team for granted and suffered the consequences.

“I was bitterly disappointed when I did not make the indoor hockey team. It was a wake-up call for me,” said Syarman.

“I’ve to perform well and give my best in training and tournaments to impress the selectors.

“My goal now is to help Terengganu reach the semi-finals in the Razak Cup,” said Syarman, who guided his school Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolt to bag a double – the league and overall titles last month.

Syarman, who helped Malaysia win their first-ever gold in the Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina last October, hopes to make the trip to Johor.

“The national selectors are using the Razak Cup to call up players for the tournament in Johor,” said Syarman.

Terengganu, who finished as the runners-up in the last two editions, however, failed to impress yesterday when they went down 2-3 to Kuala Lumpur in the Group B match at the national Hockey stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Syarman and Co will have to bounce back against Penang today to keep their hopes alive for a place in the semi-finals. Terengganu will wrap their group fixtures against Pahang on Tuesday.