KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — The national men’s junior hockey squad looks set for the opening Pool A fixture against Chile in the 2023 Junior World Cup (JWC), this Tuesday (December 5) at the National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
Head coach Muhamad Amin Rahim said the team is showing improvement in the final training sessions ahead of the match.
“What we are doing at the moment is strengthening the defensive and attacking structure and certainly the focus after the Sultan of Johor Cup International Hockey Tournament is penalty corners.
“If we can focus on the relevant areas, we are definitely on the right path,” he told the press today.
On the Chilean team’s playing style, Amin said it is similar to the world’s top-ranking team, Argentina.
“We last played Chile at Bhubaneswar, India (in 2021) and we won 2 – 1. That was some time ago, so we expect this to be a difficult match.
“Of course, our ranking is higher (eighth in the world) and Chile (is 20th), but it’s actually about who wants to win it more,” he said.
Amin is also confident his players will be able to perform well in front of the home crowd.
Following the match against Chile, Malaysia will take on defending champions Argentina on Wednesday (December 6) and end the group stage against 1997 champions Australia on Friday (December 8), with all matches set to take place at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Malaysia’s best achievement at the JWC was a fourth-place finish in the inaugural edition in 1979, as well as in 1982 and 2013, while in the last edition, the national squad was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 0 – 4 to France.
— Bernama
