KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has been given the honour to host the first edition of the World Underwater Hockey Congress, scheduled for October 16 to 21.
National head coach Roshan Babu Balakrishan said the congress to be held in Kuala Lumpur will see the World Cup tournament contested in three categories for the 4v4 event: elite men, elite women, and youth (mixed).
“So far a total of 39 countries are interested in participating in this tournament including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore,” he said after an iftar ceremony here last night.
The breaking of fast event organised by the Malaysia Underwater Hockey Association was also attended by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Asked about the target, Roshan said the youth team (mixed) has a good chance to at least win a medal in the tournament.
However, he said they are now facing the challenge of finding a suitable training place ahead of the tournament.
“Since 2019 we have been facing the problem of training facilities, where we train in public swimming pools or those that have been leased to public operators.
“There is a need to close the pool for us and this is only allowed after 9pm – when the lights around the facility are turned off and you have to rely on the lights in the pool,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yeoh hopes that her ministry would find a way to get a suitable training ground for the national team’s preparations, as well as for the tournament. – Bernama, April 1, 2023
