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- Arulselvaraj and Beng Hai to take charge MHC supremo threatens to withdraw team from …
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Arulselvaraj and Beng Hai to take charge
MHC supremo threatens to withdraw team from Asiad
It was an explosive Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) emergency council meeting at the Royal Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon and the writing was on the wall when national hockey chief coach K. Dharmaraj was booted out from the team for next month’s Asian Games.
And fed up with the bickering and disunity in the team following Malaysia’s disastrous outings in two major world meets – the World Cup in the Hague, Holland in May and the recent 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – MHC president HRH Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had even called for Malaysia to withdraw from next month’s Asian Games.
“If there is no positive in their attitude (players) then it’s no point sending a team to the Asian Games,” stressed Tengku Abdullah, adding that he will personally meet the players.
However, the idea of withdrawing from the Asian Games to be held in the South Korean city of Incheon from Sept 14 Oct 4, was shot down by the council members. They were however unanimous in their decision to give Dharmaraj the boot. Except Kelantan, Perlis and Sarawak all the rest of the council members attended the meeting.
Project 2016 coach A. Arulselvaraj and MHC director of coaching Tai Beng Hai, who is also a FIH high performance coach, were appointed as interim coach and team manager respectively for the Asian Games while the outspoken Dharmaraj’s fate will be decided by the National Sports Council, who are his pay masters.
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| Tai Beng Hai |
Arulselvaraj is not new to the senior national team as he was the assistant to Paul Revington before the South African quit the team in a huff early this year, citing poor health.as his reasons but “politics” in the sport that drove him away.
Tengku Abdullah, who is also the Crown Prince of Pahang, said: “I am willing to pull out the team from the Asian Games if the players cannot give 100 per cent in discipline and commitment. Those (players) who don’t have these discipline can leave. If they cannot give their best then there is no point sending a team to Incheon.”
At the meeting Tengku Abdullah made it known that he was “deeply hurt” by Dharmaraj’s posting on his Facebook that the MHC management is ‘still living in caves and tree tops” – to which Dharmaraj has been given a show cause letter. Dharmaraj has replied the letter but it will be discussed at a later date.
Dharmaraj, who was promoted as the senior coach when Revington quit, had even challenged MHC to sack him if they are not happy with his handling of the team after Malaysia’s disastrous outings in the World Cup in The Hague, Holland in May, Malaysia ended their World Cup campaign without a win and finished last out of the 12 teams.
Malaysia finished seventh in the just concluded 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Malaysia after defeating Scotland 2-1 in the placing match.
However, big defeats to England (8-1), New Zealand (6-1) and 4-2 to unheralded Trinidad and Tobago sent Malaysian hockey to shambles despite winning their opening against Canada 2-0.
The Asian Games champions will get an automatic berth to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
“We had high expectations in the World Cup and also the Commonwealth but we failed and there are several factors that attributed to this,” said Tengku Abdullah.
