Malaysia out to start tournament with a win
Published on: Thursday, October 20, 2016
KUANTAN: The National hockey squad hope to kick off their campaign in the Asian Champions Trophy against Pakistan with a win at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium Thursday.National coach Stephen Van Huizen said starting the tournament with a win will be crucial to lift the moral of the players, especially when playing at home."A good start will provide the right tonic, inspiration and motivation for the players to go the distance in the tournament.
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However, Pakistan is not just any team but a superpower in world hockey before and still are in the region."We are going to face very tough teams in the competition and I will need the players to remain strong physically and mentally. I need a win to start the tournament on a high since we are the host," he told reporters here Wednesday.Stephen said the current National team had a list of experienced players who have prepared well. "Most of the players in the squad are experienced. There are six players who can take penalty corners.
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However, I want Malaysia to be more than just a team that scores from penalty corners. They must create chances and score without having to depend on penalty corners," he said.
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He added that the team had prepared well, especially by competing in the Australian Hockey League which is a very competitive league."Our main target is to qualify for the world cup but we will also expose young players to the competition to gain exposure and experience," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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