KUALA LUMPUR – There is still light at the end of the tunnel for the players who failed to secure a spot in the 30-men national team squad last week.
Head coach Arul Selvaraj shortlisted his final squad on Saturday, leaving out 8 players, which included star player Mohammad Fitri Saari who plays for the Terengganu Hockey Team.
It came as a shocker to many after Fitri Saari was left out from the team but it cemented Arul’s objective since he took over, which is to have players who are willing to work hard and adapt to his coaching methods.
However, Arul told The Vibes that the door is always open for anyone who is willing to work hard for the national team.
“This is the squad for now and we will begin our next training session on November 9,” he said.
When the Vibes asked if the reason players were omitted was that they could not fulfil his requirements, Arul said that maybe the players could not keep up with the intensity of the training, which was implemented by him and the rest of the coaching staff.
“We train with high intensity and you need to be mentally, emotionally and physically strong. At the same time, you need to be focused because your reaction to situations and decision making is crucial.
“We have shorter training sessions now but the intensity is high and I require quality sessions from the players, which I saw in the guys that I have shortlisted,” said Arul when contacted.
Arul said that the selected players have the required skills and important elements to play for the national team. He added that the selection was based on their work rate and their individual initiative to push beyond what was required.
“There are even new players in the squad because of their work rate and the energy they bring to the team. We need players such as them to represent the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the national team is part of the quarantine bubble set up at the National Sports Council (NSC) due to the CMCO. Although the team finds it difficult due to restrictions, Arul hopes to make the best out of it.
“We have been working on small groups on the pitch and we will continue to do so. What I like about these sessions are that I get to empower the senior players to handle the sessions,” Arul added. – The Vibes, November 2, 2020.
