KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey captain Muhammad Najmi Farizal Jazlan is not giving up just yet as he believes that Malaysia can bounce back from their disastrous start to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Men’s International hockey tournament.
Malaysia lost to South Korea 3-0 in their first match and only managed to settle for a 1-1 draw against Pakistan yesterday.
“We started poorly but we are not giving up until the last match and the final whistle,” said Najmi.
“We went down against the South Koreans but in our match against Pakistan, we played better and were unfortunate not to win the match.
“As it stands, we need to win all our three remaining matches, starting with South Africa tomorrow.
“There are no easy matches in this tournament, especially with several surprising results in the first two days.”
Najmi said the team is all determined to do well in this tournament and is confident that they rise to the occasion.
“All we need to do now is to make use of our chances and be clinical in our finishes. We had many chances in the last two matches but had failed to capitalise,” said Najmi.
Najmi is hoping Malaysia can create history by winning their first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Malaysia finished runners-up five times – 1985, 2007, 2009, 2013, and 2014 – in the tournament.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old was named captain, replacing the injured Marhan Jalil.
Najmi was the captain of the national indoor hockey team which won the Asian Indoor Hockey tournament beating Iran in the final in Bangkok.
Najmi said he was surprised by the decision of the management to name him the captain for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and vows to repay their confidence by guiding Malaysia to a historic win.
“I was the flicker for two of the eight we have had in two matches, and I hope when I get the opportunity this time around, I will be able to make it count.”
“I believe that we have what it takes to reach the final, but we need to win all our remaining matches. We will not underestimate our opponents, but we need to be at our best to achieve the results,” he said. – The Vibes, November 3, 2022.
