KUALA LUMPUR - National men’s hockey team manager Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi prefers to look on the bright side despite the Speedy Tigers’ two successive losses to Japan and Great Britain in the tri-nation friendly at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil recently.
“Looking at the results, of course, it is quite disappointing to lose 3-0 to Japan and 3-1 to Great Britain, but, for me, that is not the ultimate objective.
“Our objective is to actually to see where our players are at right now and to build a team capable of putting up a good challenge in the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in October and the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in January, 2022,” he said in an audio released by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) today.
He was especially pleased with the performances put up by the youngsters, such as Muhd Akhimullah Anuar Esook and Shello Silverius.
Mirnawan was also satisfied with the Speedy Tigers for their spirited performance, especially in the game against Great Britain that saw them netting a goal from the four penalty corners they earned through Muhammad Razie Abd Rahim.
The former national skipper also said that it was unfair to judge the team based on the two defeats as this was their first competitive outing in over a year following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For me, we cannot compare our side to Japan and Great Britain because they are at a higher level of preparation, roughly 85 to 90 per cent, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics while our boys haven’t had proper training for a long time due to the pandemic,” he added. - Bernama, April 21, 2021
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