OCM urge MHC to bid for Olympic qualifier

KUALA LUMPUR: Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi has suggested that the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) bid to host the 2016 Olympic qualifier to give Malaysia a better chance of making it to Games in Rio de Janiero.

Malaysia failed to qualify for their third Olympics in a row at the Dublin qualifier last week, and Sieh said the national hockey team would have the edge playing at home because of the weather and fans.

We’ll have a better chance if we host the Olympic qualifier but the team must also be well prepared and focused

— SIEH KOK CHI

“This is a strategy MHC should consider. Our standard is more or less the same as Ireland and South Korea. It is just that they may had a better advantage playing in the cold climate,” he said.

Kok Chi said Malaysia had a record of beating strong teams like Australia and South Korea when playing at home, like in the annual Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh.

“We’ll have a better chance if we host the Olympic qualifier but the team must also be well prepared and focused,” he said when commenting on the failure of the national team to make it for the 2012 London Olympics in the Dublin qualifier.

Malaysia finished third behind South Korea and Ireland and failed to book a ticket to the Olympics for the third time since Sydney 2000. — Bernama.