Malaysian weather anew and big challenge for Black Sticks

IPOH: One day it’s the scorching heat, and another day it’s pouring rain for the New Zealand hockey team, who are trying their best to adapt to Malaysia’s unpredictable weather.

The Black Sticks had their fourth fixture at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with South Korea delayed due to a downpour after just one minute and 15 seconds of play.

After an hour wait for the weather to clear, New Zealand sealed a 4-1 win over South Korea, which sees them likely to play Malaysia in the third and fourth-placing match tomorrow.

New Zealand head coach Greg Nicol had previously said the heat here at the Azlan Shah Stadium was something his men had never experienced before, and now added that the thunderstorms were also something they don’t get back home.

“What happened tonight with the weather was not something we’ve ever encountered. We might have hard rain at times in the winter in New Zealand but certainly not the thunder and lightning.

“Having the rain with the heat on top of things was also new because when it rains in New Zealand, you still feel cold.

“But here, even though it’s pouring rain, the boys and I still felt sweaty and sticky, so that’s new,” he said.

With the team bound for the Paris Olympics, the campaign at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is serving as a preparation for Nicol and his men, who are welcoming the tough conditions to strengthen their squad.

George Baker, who scored New Zealand’s first goal against South Korea, said the team had to manage getting thrown out of their usual pre-game routines.

“We had already had our pregame coffee like any other game, so we were ready to go but the match got pushed back an hour.

“But our captain had some pretty wise words for us in the dressing room.

“He told us to just focus on the task at hand and win the battle here as we needed to come out fighting stronger than South Korea.

“We had a good first quarter which gave us the momentum for the rest of the game,” he said.

He added that the heat in Malaysia is new for him but it is putting the team in the right direction before Paris.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this heat, losing three to four kilograms in a game just from sweat is pretty crazy, and the rain is crazy too,” he said.

New Zealand have their final round-robin fixture against Pakistan today.

The Pakistan team are set to meet Japan in the final tomorrow.