Good friends stick together
It’s a reunion of sorts as buddies Syarman and akhimullah rejoin national team
KUALA LUMPUR: Syarman Mat Tee is excited to be back in the senior hockey team as he is reunited with his childhood friend Akhimullah Anuar Esook.
Their friendship started at SK Chupak in Kemaman, Terengganu, and it continued for Syarman, 23, and Akhimullah, 24, on the hockey pitch.
Both have between them a combined total of 20 international caps.
Syarman’s international career during A. Arulselvaraj’s tenure only lasted three matches where he replaced the injured Shello Silverius during the Nations Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in 2022. However, Syarman was dropped after the competition.
Akhimullah had a longer stint and had earned 17 caps under Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans in 2019 before being deemed not good enough for the national senior team.
Fortunately, the duo had made it good in Hockey5s as they were part of the side that won the 2018 Youth Olympics gold in Buenos Aires and helped Malaysia finish runners-up in the Hockey5s World Cup in Oman in January this year.
As they were pondering their future in field hockey, national head coach Sarjit Singh presented them the chance for another shot at the national senior squad of 30 last month.
Syarman was pleased to be back with the Speedy Tigers and he is not ready to take another stumble with the national team.
“I’m glad to be back in the senior squad and equally happy that Akhimullah also made it. We’ve been friends and played together in so many competitions and it feels good that we are in the national senior team together,” said Syarman, who plays as a defender.
“I only played three games in the 2022 Nations Cup and was dropped when we returned home. It was frustrating but I continued playing and we’ve had success with Hockey5s.
“I do believe the speed factor will also help me in field hockey and I will continue working hard to claim a place in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup squad and also in other tournaments.
“I wish the same for Akhimullah and hope we can serve the Speedy Tigers in the same way like what we did during the Hockey5s competitions.”
While Akhimullah looks good to be included as one of the strikers in Sarjit’s side for the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from May 4-11, Syarman will have tough competition with the presence of several seniors.
The experienced Marhan Jalil, Syed Mohd Syafiq Syed Cholan, Amirul Hamizan Azahar, Najib Hassan, Syafiq Hassan and Faris Harizan are ahead of the pecking order but the determined Syarman will go all out to earn his stripes as a Speedy Tiger again.