All the 34 players from the previous training squad have been retained and they will again be tested by the National Sports Institute (NSI), who have records of the results of tests done on them four months ago.
Chief interim coach Tai Beng Hai (pic) said that all the players would be given the chance to prove their worth to retain their places in the team.
“The early phase of training will be on the fitness aspect and the results of the tests will give us an idea of what to expect from the players,” he said yesterday.
Beng Hai will be assisted by Nor Saiful Zaini and Lailin Abu Hassan. They will handle the team until the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) hire a foreign coach on a long-term basis.
“We will not make any judgments on the players just yet. We want them to complete the physical training first. That is crucial as they do not have much time to prepare for the two assignments lined up over the next five months,” said Beng Hai.
The team will play in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from April 3-12 and then the Asia Cup in Dubai from May 8-13. The Asia Cup is also a qualifying event for the 2010 World Cup Finals and the champions will gain an automatic berth.
The MHF deputy president, Nur Azmi Ahmed, said that the interim coaches would get a free hand to handle the training programme for the team as they deemed fit.
“Until the foreign coach comes in, the interim coaches will get the job done their way and follow their own programme. The players need to get back to work immediately and we do not want to waste time,” he said.
Azmi added that none of the players in the training squad had informed the MHF that they wanted out.
“We expect all the players from the previous squad to check in for training on Monday. If there are any injuries or players who have special needs, we will deal with them when they come in,” he said.
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