Razie’s got his slick penalty flick, but he still wants to impress coach
PETALING JAYA: Don’t write off one of the best penalty corner flickers in the country – the 33-year-old Razie Rahim.
Although he is one of the oldest players in the team, the defender has shown that he has not lost any sting with his stick from the 18-yard box on the domestic front this year.
In the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), he scored 12 penalty corner goals for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and in the recent Razak Cup, he scored nine penalty corner goals for Police.
However, in the current centralised camp squad, he will have competition from Faizal Saari, Mohd Shahril Saabah, Syed Syafiq Syed Mohd Cholan and Shello Silverius.
Faizal has scored ten penalty corner goals for Terengganu in the Razak Cup; Shahril nailed seven for Kuala Lumpur; Perak’s Syafiq and Sabah’s Shello had four penalty corner goals each.
With Malaysia having that many drag flickers, Razie knows what needs to be done if he wants to make the final 25 under the charge of coach A. Arul Selvaraj.
“There are only two words and that is – hard work. If you are contented with what you have, you will never move forward,” said Razie.
“I can see all the players are showing great determination in training, and the commitment is admirable. Every session is a challenge for everyone, and with that kind of intensity, you would definitely improve.
“For me, no one is guaranteed a spot. Everyone is working hard to be in the final 25. Whether it is the guys with caps or the newbies, all want to impress the coach.
“I cannot just rely on my experience to get into the team. I need to continue honing my level of play and translate it into match-winning performances for the team.”
The 37 players have been based in Bukit Jalil since the conditional movement control order was imposed.
For Razie, he has no issues staying in the hostel and not having any contact with the outside world.
“It’s okay as long as we get to train. I also see it as a way to bond with the players better.”