KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — If the quality of Sukma players is anything to go by, then the 1MAS hockey programme is a failure, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) secretary V. Rajamanickam said.

The 1MAS programme was instituted in 2010 by Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) with the purpose of raising awareness and getting kids to play the sport.

1MAS coaching centres were supposed to act as feeders to the various state age group teams, but underwent a revamp in 2013, due to a dip in player participation and slow progress.  It resulted in them being re-categorised from Class One to Four — one being the best, and four, the worst.

In June this year, the 1MAS programme was scrapped by MHC, with plans for it to be relaunched under a different name.

"There’s no point for the same programme; it doesn’t work,” Rajamanickam told Malay Mail.

"The 1MAS programme spent RM11 million on development and the average age in the  Sukma boys team is 18 plus while the girls are 17 plus. Where are the 19, 20 and 21-year-old players?” Rajamanickam asked.

"Sukma’s become another age group development competition rather than a higher level of sports. The maturity level isn’t there and there are no extraordinary players in any team.

"I’m not trying to blame anyone. It’s constructive criticism so we can highlight the weaknesses apparent in the system,” Rajamanickam said.

"At the moment no one wants to invest in hockey as they’re not confident with management and the direction they’re heading,” Rajamanickam, who has more than 20 years of experience in hockey, said.

"Instead of worrying about hiring a technical director and paying him tens of thousands of ringgit, focus on the grassroots and players’ welfare,” Rajamanickam said of MHC’s plans to rehire Terry Walsh, who is understood to be paid RM60,000 a month

"In essence MHC have wasted RM11 million of taxpayers’ money.”