Perak hail heroics of Razak Cup hero Haziq.

Haziq played through pain of pulled hamstring to win it for Perak

Perak striker Mohd Haziq Shamsul showed that he is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve.

In the Razak Cup final against Terengganu on Saturday, he never stopped running and single-handedly won the title for the state.

His tireless contribution did not go down in vain as he scored a hattrick (29th minute, 32nd and 46th) after Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal got the ball rolling in the 16th minute. Terengganu’s Faizal Saari scored a brace in the first and 58th minutes.

Thanks to him, Perak won 4-2 for their 10th title at the National Hockey Stadium.

Haziq even pulled a hamstring at one stage but said the pain was worth it as he had wanted to give something to Perak and the win was also a reward for his sacrifices.

“For two years, I was struggling with knee injuries and finally went for surgery in May. It’s been tough but I persevered,” said the 26-year-old.

“Before entering the field, I recalled my late mother’s advice.

“She always tells me that in life, there are no limits. That’s why I gave my all.”

Coach Roslan Jamaluddin, a former national goalkeeper, said his tactics worked as they subdued their pacy opponents and he also praised his players’ high level of commitment.

“Look at Haziq. He played on even though he was injured.

“That’s commitment and as a coach, you can’t ask for anything more from your players.

“Before the game, I was a nervous wreck as this was my first final as a Perak coach. But I’m glad everything worked out well.”

Perak took home RM10,000 and some quarters felt the amount was too low for the oldest hockey tournament in the country.

“For us, the Razak Cup holds a special value.

“You can see it from the players’ performance. They badly wanted the title and never gave a thought about monetary reward.”

Before entering the field, I recalled my late mother’s advice. She always tells me that in life, there are no limits. That’s why I gave my all. Mohd Haziq Shamsul