Hockey players get physical

The national hockey team will undergo a two-week intensive training camp in Desaru as part of their preparations for an Olympic qualifying tournament in Japan in April.

The emphasis in training at the camp scheduled for Jan 6-18 will be on the physical aspect. A few mental training sessions are also in store and there will be limited hockey sessions at the nearby Bandar Penawar Sports School.

Physical training will be conducted by German York Techman, who is a full-time employee of the National Sports Institute (NSI). Mental training will be conducted by NSI’s psychologist Fred Tan.

Coach Sarjit Singh said that the players would undergo fitness tests next week before leaving for the camp.

“All 32 players are required to attend the camp. It is a very crucial part of our programme and this will count towards selection later,” he said.

“The fitness level of the players has not been good in recent months and it showed up during the Champions Trophy earlier this month (Malaysia finished last in the eight-team tournament). Therefore, the players can expect a very tough camp. We will push them hard in Desaru,” he said.

The team went into full-time training from yesterday and Sarjit said that set plays and other aspects of the game would be dealt with after the stint in Desaru.

Ahead of the Olympic qualifiers scheduled for April 5-13, the team have at least 22 matches in February and March.

It begins with two matches against Trinidad and Tobago in the first week of February. Trinidad and Tobago are stopping over en route to Auckland for another Olympic qualifying tournament.

The national team will leave for Australia on Feb 6 for 10 matches – five each against Queensland and New South Wales.

After their return to KL, they will then have five Test matches each against South Korea and China between Feb 24 and March 10.

“Our plan was to have at least 20 matches before going to Japan. We now have 22 and there is a chance that we may play one or two more games,” said Sarjit.

“It is a very tight schedule and the players need to stay focused on their tasks. Those who cannot cope with the physical workouts will find themselves left behind.”

In the Olympic qualifiers, Malaysia will be up against Japan, Germany, Poland, Switzerland and a team to be named as the replacement for the Czech Republic.

The tournament offers only a single ticket to Beijing.