KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is eyeing a top three finish in the Asian Cup this year, which will automatically qualify them for the World Cup next year in India.
The Asian Cup will take place from May 23rd to June 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Malaysia is in Group B with Bangladesh, South Korea, and Oman, while Group A have India, Indonesia, Japan, and Pakistan.
The top three teams will represent Asia in the 2023 World Cup as India has already qualified as host.
National men's senior squad head coach A. Arulselvaraj explained that the tournament uses a ‘super 4’ system where the top two teams of groups A and B will meet in a round-robin league to determine who becomes the Asian Cup champion.
“We have gathered some information about our opponents like the Oman and Bangladesh. We’ve analysed and studied their style.
“Our players have also done their own homework by analysing their opponents and they are prepared to give their best to ensure we would achieve our target,” he added.
Meanwhile, team captain Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil explained that his team wants to achieve more than just qualifying for the World Cup in India.
“We want to be the Asian Cup champions.
“I often remind my teammates to take every pressure as something positive and transform that pressure into a strength as well as the confidence to play,” said Marhan who has amassed 271 international caps.
The squad will leave for Jakarta tomorrow and will start their first match on May 23. – The Vibes, May 17, 2022
