KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) are eyeing a clean sweep of all four hockey (field and indoor) gold medals on offer at the SEA Games 2023 in Cambodia.
MHC deputy president Prof Datuk Dr S. Shamala said they welcomed Cambodia’s decision to include field hockey back into the competition list after it was last held in the 2017 edition here.
Indoor hockey is also set to make a comeback after it was last held in the 2019 edition in Manila.
“The National Sports Council (NSC) support our bid for a clean sweep of all four gold medals, but this is something we are expected to achieve at the SEA Games 2023,” she told reporters after attending the NSC working committee meeting here today.
Malaysia are the defending champions of all four events to be contested at the biennial Games in Cambodia next May.
Meanwhile, Shamala expects the dates for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh to be announced next week.
“It’s still being discussed. Once we get the feedback from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) regarding confirmation of the competing teams, we will seek the consent of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah regarding the dates,” she said, adding that Japan and Pakistan were among six teams set to compete in this edition.
On another matter, she said the MHC were awaiting feedback from the Finance Ministry on their application for an allocation to prepare the Speedy Tigers for the World Cup 2023 to be held in India from January 13 to 29.
On July 6, MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said the funds were needed, among others, to hire a high-calibre physical trainer to further elevate the performance level of head coach A. Arul Selvaraj’s men before they leave for the prestigious tournament.
The Speedy Tigers qualified for the World Cup 2023 after emerging runners-up at the Asia Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia in May.
This will be the ninth time that Malaysia have qualified for the World Cup, with their best-ever performance being a fourth placing in 1975. – Bernama, July 18, 2022
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