Hockey Olympic Qualifier: Poland play a very robust game, says coach Sarjit

Malaysia begin their quest for a place in the Beijing Olympic Games with what looks like a relatively easy opener against Poland in the qualifiers in Kakamigahara, Japan today.

But then looks can be deceiving.

Hence, coach Sarjit Singh’s word of caution


Forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin

“We watched a video of Poland’s friendly game against South Korea, which was played last week, and found that they (the Poles) play a very robust game,” Sarjit said in a telephone interview from Kakamigahara.

“They are physically bigger and taller and we can expect a tough time against them.”

Malaysia last played Poland, who are ranked 21st in the world, in the Four-Nation Tournament in Poznan in 2005, winning 3-2.

Sarjit has told his players to play an aggressive and fast match from the start to put pressure on their opponents.

“I hope the forwards will make use of their chances. We are also banking on S. Kuhan and Mohd Amin (Rahim) to deliver from penalty corner set pieces,” said Sarjit, who guided Malaysia to their first-ever bronze medal in the Asia Cup in Chennai last September.

Despite the relatively easy opener, Malaysia’s task in Kakamigahara is actually fraught with danger.

With only the winner qualifying for Beijing, the odds are stacked against Malaysia in the six-team tournament.

Malaysia, who are ranked 14th in the world, also have to contend with the likes of world champions and world No. 1 Germany, Japan (No. 11), Switzerland (33rd) and Italy (37th).

That’s not all, Sarjit’s men are also struggling to adapt to the slippery pitch and chilly weather conditions. “We bought some long sleeves and tights for the players to keep warm during the matches as the weather here is chilly, with the temperature hovering around the 10°C to 15°C range,” said Sarjit.

Worse still, Malaysia may not have the services of three key players – midfielders Jeevan Mohan and Mohd Sukri Abdul Mutalib and forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin – for today’s match against Poland.

Jeevan and Sukri are down with fever and flu respectively while Ahmad injured his little finger during training on Thursday.

While Jeevan is definitely out for today’s game against Poland, Sarjit is keeping his fingers crossed that Sukri and Tengku Ahmad will be fit to see action.

“Sukri’s condition has improved and may play in the opening match. Ahmad’s finger was swollen after being hit by the ball and we sent him to hospital for an X-ray.

“Luckily, there is no fracture,” said Sarjit.

“However, we will have to wait until tomorrow (today) to know if he will be able to play.”