Women’s team can make final, says Dharmaraj

THE Malaysian women’s indoor hockey team are ready to spoil the party for favourites Thailand and Indonesia at the Nov 30-Dec 11 Philippines Sea Games.

Indoor hockey made its Sea Games debut two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, with Thailand winning the women’s gold, Indonesia taking silver and Malaysia bronze. The Malaysian men’s team won gold.

This time, with indoor hockey set to be played at the Centtro Mall and Convention Centre in Los Banos, the Malaysian women’s team are hoping to spring a surprise.

“Thailand and Indonesia have been actively playing indoor hockey for a long time. We only began taking it seriously a few years ago,” said national women’s indoor hockey coach K. Dharmaraj. “The plus point for us is that we have the best field hockey players in the region. We did not select the best field hockey players to train for indoor in 2017.

“But for the Philippines Games, I will have the cream of the crop and that's why I believe we can make the final.”

So confident is Dharmaraj, who used to coach the men and women’s national field hockey teams, that he isn’t even bothered by the fact that Thailand and Indonesia had undergone extensive training stints in Europe.

“Thailand went to Austria for a three-week stint while Indonesia were in Prague (Czech Republic) for 16 days to train and play.

“Both these teams are dead serious about the game. But I believe that with the best available players in the country, we have a good chance of being partypoopers.”

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), who held their elections on Nov 16, said they would announce their Executive Board members and chairmen of the various committees after the Sea Games ends.

“We will have our second meeting on Dec 14 and announce the appointments,” said MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.