New name for new year

Ernst and Young’s double victory in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) could not have come at a better time for them. They are set to become history in the MHL.

Team manager George Koshy said that he was in the process of forming a new club to effectively replace Ernst and Young.

“There will be a new name but the players from Ernst and Young will move to the new club,” he said yesterday.



“One of the reasons for this is the offer to me to be the national team manager. If I accept it, there will be a conflict of interest. And in line with the thinking of the MHF leadership, it may be a good time to set up a professional hockey club in Malaysia.”

Ernst and Young started out in the MHL as Arthur Andersen in 2000 before changing their banner the following year. They have featured in seven finals for the overall title but only managed to land the title last Saturday. They were the league champions for the last three years.

Koshy added that they were working on the set-up for the new club and have yet to decide whether they would be an off-shoot of the KLHA or remain a separate entity.

“Details will be worked out soon. We are for the forming of professional clubs in Malaysia. But if you look at the current set-up, the players are professionals but the clubs are employer-based,” he said.

“I’m happy to note that the MHF have agreed to a single league next year. It is the right way to go to develop hockey.”

Last Saturday, Ernst and Young beat Sapura 5-4 on penalties in the final after extra time failed to resolve a 2-2 deadlock. It is the third consecutive year that the final was decided in a shootout.

The National Juniors were given a place in Division One this year but as in previous seasons, the competitions were dominated by Ernst and Young, Sapura, Maybank and Tenaga Nasional. If the other teams do not put in greater effort to improve their side, it will be the same four-horse race.

Even promoted Nur Insafi, with nine foreigners, lacked the experience to play in Division One and registered just one win in 12 matches.

It now remains to be seen how a new single league format will help improve the standard of Malaysian hockey with better quality matches to appeal to the fans.

It was good to note that the final between Ernst and Young and Sapura was given live TV coverage. Hopefully, this will become a regular feature to generate greater interest in the game outside the Klang Valley.