MHF yet to secure sponsors for Div 2 and 3 categories

The Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) starts in four days’ time but the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) have yet to secure the sponsors for the Division Two and Division Three categories.

Teams playing in the two divisions for the Under-19s can expect lower prize money. For starters, there is a RM2,500 reduction in the prize offered for the two divisions.

And there is also no word on whether the incentive payment for each win will be continued this year. Over the last five years, each team received RM200 for a win in the preliminary round.

And there is also no word if any subsidy will be paid out although the MHF secretary Hashim Mohamed Yusof told the team managers that a final decision will be taken on Thursday.

The only thing the teams have confirmation of is that they will receive two sets of attire for the tournament.

Since the inception of the Malaysia Junior Hockey League in 1995, Milo and the National Sports Council have been the main sponsors.

This year there is no word about their involvement since the MJHL is now “dead” and replaced by the four tier MHL.

Divisions Two and Three are for the junior teams and in every respect the same as that of the MJHL in terms of format and rules.

But there has been talk that Tenaga Nasional may step in to cover the entire MHL for this season.

Negotiations are said to be on-going.

The competitions committee, however, decided to reverse the order of the prize money structure.

Two years ago the MHF decided that the league champions should receive more money than the overall winners.

This year it will revert to the old structure whereby the overall champions will be rewarded with a higher amount.

The top six teams from Division Two and the top two teams form Division Three will play in the knockout stage.

There will be a home and away quarter-final and semi-final matches before the final on April 26.

The total prize money offered this year is RM80,500 while it was RM83,000 for 2008.