KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 ― Players need to be focused every minute of the match and throughout the match duration to seek goal scoring opportunities when playing in the World Hockey League semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium, next month.
National head coach Tai Beng Hai said the weaknesses of the players were exposed throughout the two friendly matches against Belgium and Holland, recently.
“All players were given an opportunity to showcase their ability and we were able to identify their weaknesses. They take a little bit of time to 'heat up' and that should be overcome.
“At such a high level of competition, every minute of the match is important, therefore we cannot be complacent or be careless, even for a minute,” he said.
Beng Hai said playing on the actual pitch that would be used for the competition, scheduled from June 20 to July 5, however, offered an opportunity for the players to get used to the conditions.
“Such experience and exposure can come in handy during the competition,” he said.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has appointed Beng Hai as the National senior hockey team's head coach while former International and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) coach Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin was named his assistant.
The Beng Hai-Nor Saiful partnership was not new to the scene since the duo had been working together for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Asia Cup in 2009 and again in 2012 to prepare the team for the London Olympic Qualifiers in Dublin, Ireland. ― Bernama
