Perak fullback Syafiq expects Razak Cup to be tougher this year

Syed Syafiq Syed Mohd Cholan (pic), with his dominant style, is beginning to play a prominent role in the national hockey team.

The affable 25-year-old fullback will get a chance to assert his place in coach S. Arul Selvaraj’s squad when he turns out for Perak in the Razak Cup from Sept 18-26.

Syafiq, who just returned from centralised training with the national team on Friday, expects competition to be tougher in this year’s Razak Cup.

“Players who were not called up for the national training camp will be going all out to impress the selectors while those already in the team will be looking to retain their spots with a good performance.

“Coach Arul’s arrival has given us a real boost and every player are keen to work hard to prove that they deserve to be in the group,” he said.

“For the Razak Cup, based on the squad list, Perak looked like a national team.

“You can say we are the favourites for the title as we have senior and junior national players and also ex-internationals.

“But you must remember, having the best players and no teamwork will not take you far. That is what we have to avoid.”

Perak will be coached by former international Azlan Misron, who is one of the most capped players in the country with 349 caps.

Syafiq hopes to put up a good performance as he aims to become one of the lynchpins in the national team.

“I set a high standard when it comes to mentality, attitude, discipline and responsibility.

“If each player has an excellent mentality, Malaysia can be one of the top teams in the world for sure.”