KUALA LUMPUR – Faizal Saari joining Dutch Premier League (Hoffdklasse) side ZSV Schaerweijde Hockey Club will now open doors for local players to play high-standard international hockey in overseas major leagues.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said that Faizal’s journey to play in an overseas major league will help elevate the standards of Malaysian hockey.
Faizal will be the first Malaysian player to play professionally in the Hoffdklasse.
Subahan added that Faizal’s current team, Terengganu, will benefit from his time overseas.
“The knowledge he brings back will not just give the national team an advantage, but Terengganu will also be able to reap the benefits.
“Next year, we want as many of our players to be playing internationally. They will be equipped with special monitoring systems to keep track of their performance.
“When they have their national duty, they will return home to serve their country,” he said during the press conference today.
Faizal will be leaving on August 11 as he signed a 10-month contract with ZSV Schaerweijde.
With the Hoffdklasse ending their current season in November, Faizal will return to Malaysia and train with national team head coach A. Arul Selvaraj to prepare for the 2022 FIH Hockey Nations Cup.
“He will play a minimum of 10 matches with ZSV Schaerweijde.
“The standard played in the Hoffdklasse is equal to many national teams. They have a full backroom staff and have a budget sometimes more than some national teams,” said Arul.
He added that this is now the time to restart the plan of sending players overseas, as the Covid-19 pandemic had caused delays for two years.
After returning home, Faizal will head to the Netherlands again in March or April next year.
Faizal said he is looking forward to his time in the Netherlands.
“We know their level there is high, so this is a good opportunity for me and Malaysian hockey.
“Although this is a heavy duty for me, I will try my best to elevate Malaysia’s name internationally, and I also want to perform my best,” said the 31-year-old.
Meanwhile, Arul said the national men’s team will be heading to Spain and France in September as part of their preparations for upcoming tournaments such as the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Nations Cup. – The Vibes, August 9, 2022.
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