NAFAS AKHIR / THE LAST BREATH IN 2026 – MALAYSIAN HOCKEY - "We reach a critical juncture this year: we must either bounce back or face irreparable decline" BY MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE)

NAFAS AKHIR / THE LAST BREATH – MALAYSIAN HOCKEY "We reach a critical juncture this year: we must either bounce back or face irreparable decline" BY MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE)

Warm greetings to everyone.

Many have asked about new articles regarding Malaysian hockey. I have been busy with my podcast, Planet Sukan, and various projects for the FIH.

Let’s get to the point: THE LAST BREATH.

We have been in decline since 2015 and have yet to recover following the 2018 Asian Games. This year will determine whether we recover or fall further toward an irreparable state on the world hockey stage. We have now dropped to our lowest world ranking of 15th. In world hockey, there are only 20 elite teams, despite the FIH ranking system including over 90 nations. Being ranked 15th out of these 20 is the true measure of our standing; beyond this top tier, the gap in team standards is significant due to a lack of tournament participation.

In 2026, there are five key tournaments:

1. FIH Nations Cup: June, Cape Town

2. FIH Men’s World Cup: August, Belgium/Netherlands

3. Asian Games: September, Nagoya, Japan

4. Asian Champions Trophy: October, Punjab, India

5. Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: November, Ipoh, Perak

When we fail, we change the coaching staff; however, the core problem lies within the ecosystem and the pathway for developing international players. Many facets require a major overhaul, as the current system produces national-level players rather than international-caliber athletes.

Returning to the topic: The Last Breath. The new coach lacks a strong track record, having achieved no major milestones as a player, such as competing in the Olympics or World Cups. While several world-class coaches have expressed reservations regarding his profile, I will not disclose those details here.

He has set targets to reach the finals of the FIH Nations Cup and the 2026 Asian Games.

Regarding the Nations Cup, we are in Pool A with Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and Scotland, while Pool B includes Ireland, France, South Africa, and the USA. Given that New Zealand, Ireland, France, and South Africa have competed in the FIH Pro League, and we have not defeated Japan or Korea in the last two years, our path to these goals remains unclear. Watch out for Scotland; they are a well-balanced dark horse.

For the FIH Men’s World Cup, we are placed in Pool B alongside Belgium, Germany, and France. Given the competition, we may finish last in the pool, moving us to Pool G with the bottom two teams from Pool C, likely South Africa and Ireland. In the classification stage, we would face Ireland and South Africa, with our result against France carried forward. Our goal should be to finish third in Pool G to compete for 13th/14th place, rather than last, which would relegate us to the 15th/16th place match. In the 2018 and 2023 editions, we finished 15th out of 16 teams—our worst World Cup performances to date—compared to our best results: 4th in 1975 and 8th in Kuala Lumpur in 2002. 

The 2026 Asian Games will follow the FIH World Cup with only a 15-day gap, creating a tight schedule. India and Pakistan are expected to be the top contenders, given their participation in the Pro League. Japan will compete as hosts, while Korea seeks redemption after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIH World Cup. Due to our low world ranking, we will likely face a difficult pool.

Two further tournaments will follow: the Asian Champions Trophy and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

**Rationale for the title: THE LAST BREATH**

Between June and November, we face five key tournaments comprising approximately 45–50 official matches. World rankings are calculated using the formula: RWI (Result × Weightage × Importance).

The importance levels for these tournaments are as follows:

* FIH World Cup: 10

* Asian Games: 6

* Nation Cup: 3

* Asian Champions Trophy: 3

* Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: 2

Furthermore, our squad is currently recognized as the oldest team with the most international caps in world hockey. Most players are aged 33 and above. Due to a failure to develop junior talent, the last three Malaysian Junior World Cup teams have performed poorly, finishing 4th in Asia without reaching the podium. In the Junior World Cup, the team placed 12th of 16 in Kuala Lumpur 2023 JWC and 13th of 24 in JWC Tamil Nadu 2025.

Conclusion

With an aging national team and a lack of successful junior development since 2025, it is questionable whether the squad can sustain 50 matches over six months while maintaining consistent results. There is significant concern regarding whether veteran players—such as Hafizudin, Marhan, Faiz, Fitri, and Faisal—can endure this schedule, given the lack of depth in the current international hockey bench. Many will suffer injuries and burnout. Can these key players be sustained through the LA28 Olympic cycle, or will their potential retirement create a significant vacuum that has been building since 2015?

We lack solutions, having mismanaged the last three Junior World Cup cycles. Regarding the 2027 JWC, there is no proper periodization plan or quality international match schedule; Liaoning tours are insufficient. Six months have passed since the 2025 JWC without any international matches, ahead of the Junior Asia Cup in Moqi, China, in early September 2026, followed by the Sultan of Johor Cup in October.

Furthermore, it is unclear how the second round of the MHL will take place, as all national senior and junior players are committed to busy international schedules until November. Our current calendar is poorly structured and managed on an ad-hoc basis. Leading teams utilize a four-year cycle aligned with the Olympics, incorporating domestic and international events for U18, U21, and senior squads.

Regarding LA28, qualification remains challenging. With the United States occupying one slot, the remaining 11 are divided between five continental champions and six teams from the February 2028 FIH Olympic Qualifiers. Given the caliber of competition in these eight-team events, securing a top-three finish is difficult. Furthermore, surpassing India in the 2026 Asian Games is a significant hurdle; success requires first overcoming Japan, Korea, China, and Pakistan. India has 70 players who have secured consecutive Olympic bronze medals and a bronze in the recent Junior World Cup. India’s coach, Craig Fulton, is considering fielding separate teams for the World Cup and the Asian Games.

I will provide updates on these events and periodically share predictions and analyses regarding the issues affecting our performance.

I wish the Malaysian senior and junior teams the very best as we reach a critical juncture this year: we must either bounce back or face irreparable decline.

By September, following the Asian Games, we will determine whether a restructuring is necessary to salvage the sport or if the current office bearers should step down and forgo re-election in 2027, given our repeated failures over the past decade.

Best regards. Thank you for reading and following my articles and comments. It is nothing personal; I simply want Malaysian hockey to return to its rightful place, where we deserve to be in the Olympics again and consistently achieving favorable results in world hockey. 

MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE)

FORMER OLYMPIAN & WORLD CUPPER

FORMER SEC GEN OF MHC/MHF & FIH THINK TANK

The Late R. Rama Krishnan - "Loss of a Good Soul & Farewell To A Prominent Sporting Hockey Hero"

The Late R. Rama Krishnan 

- "Loss of a Good Soul & Farewell To A Prominent Sporting Hero" 

I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a true legend of the field hockey. He as a former field hockey international, he did not just represent their country — he embodied dedication, sportsmanship, and unwavering passion for the game. 

At 17, he debuted for the national team in the year 1970 - a test series with Singapore. He quickly established himself in the half-line where he made it to the 1972 Munich Olympics. 

Thereafter, he was a first-choice selection, turning out at the 1973, 1975 & 1978 World Cups, and the Asian Games of 1974 in Tehran and 1978 in Bangkok. 

He also played in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In other words, he played in all the premier tournaments in the 1970s, the most celebrated decade for Malaysia in international hockey, with the national team winning the bronze medals in Asiad's of '74 and '78 and gaining its best ever placing of 4th before rapturous home crowds in the '75 World Cup. 

The late R. Rama Krishnan was an integral part of the high-achieving decade. He was selected for Asia's continental All-Stars team in 1974 for a series of matches to mark the 50th anniversary of the International Hockey Federation (FIH)

Wearing the national colors is one of the highest honors in sport, and he carried that honor with grace and pride.

His legacy lives on not only in the matches won and milestones achieved, but in the teammates inspired, the young athletes mentored, and the countless lives touched through their humility and strength of character. 

The hockey community has lost a remarkable figure, but his spirit will forever echo on & off the field. He is a man truly respected not for the words spoken about him, but for the presence of those (former hockey internationals) who honor him in his passing. I would 

We must cherish his memories & celebrate his life to bring comfort during this difficult time. 

Our heartfelt condolences to family, friends, former teammates, and all who had the privilege of knowing and admiring such an extraordinary individual.

May God bless your soul & Rest in Peace Sir Rama, till we meet again for a bully off!

God bless everyone...

Warmest Regards....

Maninderjit Singh (Mike)

Olympian 1996&2000

World Cup 1998 & 2002

THE YEAR 2026 IS AN IMPORTANT YEAR FOR MALAYSIAN HOCKEY—WORLD CUP & LA OLYMPICS 5 DAYS TO GO – 2026 FIH HOCKEY WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS WRITTEN BY MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE)

5 DAYS TO GO – 2026 FIH HOCKEY WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

WRITTEN BY MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE)

 Warm greetings & Gong Xi Fa Chai…

The year 2026 is also known as the Fire Horse year. This year, 2026, will indicate the future of Malaysian hockey as the journey starts to the 2026 FIH World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics qualifications with other key events such as the World Cup in Aug, Asian Games in September, Nation Cup in NZ in June 2026, Asian Champions Trophy in Dec, and Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy in Nov with most likely a 4-nation tournament in Kuala Lumpur if we qualify to 2026 WC.

We have not been doing well at the senior and junior levels for the last decade—you can read up here for the overall summary. https://stickwithmike.blogspot.com/2025/12/malaysian-hockey-currently-where-are-we.html

Let’s get into THE FIH HOCKEY WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS.

The FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 mark the final, decisive stage of the journey to the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 (15 – 30 August). With 9 men’s and women’s teams already qualified, these tournaments will determine the remaining 7 nations that will earn their place at hockey’s biggest stage later this year:

- The top three teams from each tournament automatically qualify.

- Additionally, the highest world-ranked fourth-placed team across the events also earns a coveted World Cup berth.

FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

From 1 to 14 March 2026

TEAMS 

City of Santiago, Chile

Women’s Competition

Pool A: Australia, Chile, France, Switzerland

Pool B: Japan, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia

Malaysian Women no any chance to qualify - more of going for exposure! Hope our ranking doesn't slide down further as the level of importance is at level 6 for World Ranking points - we have slide from 18th to 21 now...

Men’s Competition

Pool A: Chile, France, Wales, and Scotland Pool

B: Canada, Ireland, Korea, Poland

 

Ismailia, Egypt Men’s

Pool A: Egypt, England, Japan, USA

Pool B: Austria, China, Malaysia, Pakistan

 

Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Women’s Pool A: Austria, England, Italy, Korea

Women’s Pool B: India, Scotland, Uruguay, Wales

 

Malaysian Hockey Team Chances

Spoke to many former Internationals, and they don’t sound good, as many lack the confidence of current team performance over the years. My view is thanks to FIH for still maintaining the 16-team World Cup format; if it were 12 teams, for sure we wouldn’t qualify. But 16 teams with our current ranking at 13th, we should easily qualify, but many are concerned with the opening match against Austria, which is known as an indoor nation, and the fast-improving China team and Pakistan; after playing in the Pro League, for sure they’ve improved even with their ongoing "drama."

Let’s discuss Pool B teams—Austria, Pakistan & China.

Based on Malaysian Time:

1 Mar 2026, 7:00pm          MAS v AUT (B) 

2 Mar 2026 7.00pm PAK v MAS (B)

4 Mar 2026 10.00 pm MAS v CHN (B)

All these teams for sure want to qualify. The first objective is for sure to make the semifinals first—any team with 6 points (2 wins) and good GD will make it. But the second key objective is to top Pool B to avoid England in the SF, and most likely Japan will be second in Pool A and have a better chance to make the finals. And our coaches & MHC have put a target of being in the finals—to do that, we must beat Austria, Pakistan, and China, but it is a tough call. For sure our head coach, who has never played in any World Cup, wants the team to qualify, and at least the players will have a taste of playing in a World Cup and will be included in the CV of players.

Even the Malaysian team has engaged Brendan Carolan as one of the assistant coaches (without any PC and introduction by MHC, which normally they always do), who also applied for the head coaching job after the debacle of failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics and finishing 6th in the Asian Games 2023, where he was also an assistant to Arul. How come now he is involved again in the system unless our current coaches do not know what to do about the tactics of matches at international competitions? We have used close to 20 or more foreign experts since 2015 and didn’t get the results, and yet we have been chasing the Olympic dreams since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

But what happens if we fumble in the opening match against Austria? In the last head-to-head in the KL Nation Cup, Malaysia beat Austria 5-4, leading comfortably 4-1. Austria plays a European style of play, and the opening match is always a difficult match, and both teams will try to avoid the jittery start.

My view—we must steal a point against Pakistan (Oltmans decided not to coach & Junaid is appointed as head coach), and the last match against China will be the decider whether we are in the SF or top group B. China has invested a lot in their program by getting the world's best coaches, such as Farry, Michel & Jason Duff, and also had a playing tour to Australia.

Once we get into SF—based on rankings, even if we finish 4th—we still have a good chance to qualify, as in my view, our ranking is better than Korea's and Canada's. The highest world-ranked, fourth-placed team across the events also earns a coveted World Cup berth.

We should qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but my question is what will be our standing in the World Cups, as the last 2 editions we finished 2nd last—15th place out of 16 teams. The best 2 positions were 4th in 1975 and 8th place in the 2002 WC. We must break into the top 10 bracket and avoid the syndrome of “participating team capacity."

As for the LA 28 Olympics, there are 2 doors: the 1st door is gold in the 2026 Asian Games, and the 2nd door is FIH Olympic Qualification in early 2028, but there are 12 teams. In my view, there is no chance for the Malaysian team to qualify for LA 28, as the USA as a host has taken a slot with 5 continental champions and left 6 slots at FIH Olympic Qualifications. And our spine structure in the team—Hafizudin, Marhan, Faiz, Fitri & Faizal are aging with an average age of 35 years old—to push another 2-3 years, I doubt it, as our junior cycles of 2021, 2023, & 2025 Junior World Cup players are low in quality for international competitions such as Olympic/World Cup qualifiers, the World Cup, and the Commonwealth Games, as our pathway and mindset are just producing national players and not international players. That's why we suffer at big events and survive at low-graded hockey events.

Heard that for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics—field hockey—the number of teams will be reduced from 12 to 10 teams.

And many will ask where to watch these FIH World Cup Qualifiers—at the moment, it is only via the FIH Watch Hockey app, as Astro is still negotiating with FIH on the rights. Will keep you all posted.

Wishing our Malaysian hockey team the very best and hoping that we qualify for the 2026 FIH World Cup, as many are saying that we wouldn’t get there and our hockey is at a beyond-repair stage at the international stage.

Godspeed…

Maninderjit Singh (Mike)

P/S - Q: What happens if we do not qualify? – Doomed! Is there a plan B by MHC or a wait-and-see situation…currently, all the affiliates are also pursuing to amend a clause for additional term for post (as expiring in 2027)- previously was max 2 terms then amended to 3 terms and now for 4th term. Suggest just remove that clause permanently as it doesn't make sense....just let the affiliates to decide the bearers in every cycle! 

 

Malaysian Hockey - Adapt or Be left Behind by K.Enbaraj

K Enbaraj is a former Malaysian international field hockey player known for his strong defensive play and powerful penalty corner hitting during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was one of Malaysia’s top penalty corner specialists, earning respect both domestically and internationally for his striking ability. 

In summary, K. Enbaraj is respected in Malaysian hockey history as a former national team stalwart, penalty corner expert, club player, coach, and contributor to coach development.

Please read his honest view on Malaysian Hockey as stated below...

Malaysian Hockey - Adapt or Be left Behind 

By K.Enbaraj

The future of Malaysian hockey is increasingly uncertain. While many factors contribute to this decline, the most critical—and least confronted issue is the player profile we are producing today.

Modern hockey, especially on artificial turf, is a game built on speed, power, and explosiveness. At the highest level, players rely heavily on fast-twitch muscle fibres, commonly linked to the ACTN3 gene. These fibres enable rapid acceleration, repeated sprinting, sharp directional changes, and high-intensity actions that define elite performance in today’s game.

For nearly two decades, Malaysia benefitted from a generation of players shaped not by sophisticated systems, but by their environment. Unstructured outdoor play, walking or running long distances, informal games, and physically demanding daily routines naturally developed movement efficiency, coordination, resilience, and explosive athletic traits. Many of these players arrived at formal hockey training already physically primed.

That reality no longer exists.

Covid-19 accelerated a shift that was already underway. Childhood has become increasingly sedentary. Screens have replaced physical play, social media has replaced social interaction, and video games have replaced spontaneous movement. Children today move less, sit more, and are exposed to structured sport later—often with weaker physical foundations and reduced movement literacy.

Yet, despite this profound environmental change, our player development systems remain largely unchanged.

We continue to train as if children still arrive with natural speed and explosiveness. We select players based on outdated physical benchmarks. We prioritise competition over development and expect coaching to compensate for years of lost movement exposure. In short, we are preparing players for a game that no longer exists, using methods designed for a generation that has disappeared.

This disconnect has consequences. At international level, Malaysian players struggle to match the repeated sprint ability, physical intensity, and explosiveness of top nations. The gap is not merely technique, tactical or technical—it is biological, developmental, and systemic.

If Malaysian hockey is to remain competitive, we must confront uncomfortable truths. Talent identification must evolve. Long-term athlete development models must be rewritten. Physical literacy, movement quality, and neuromuscular development must begin earlier and be prioritised over early results. Coaching education must reflect modern sport science, not tradition.

The global game is becoming faster, stronger, and more unforgiving. Without acknowledging how the modern environment has reshaped our athletes—and without adapting accordingly—Malaysian hockey will not merely fall behind. It risks becoming irrelevant.

Happy New Year! 

Thank You

K Enbaraj

Malaysian Hockey - Currently - Where are we in World Hockey Map with stocktaking of the last 2-3 years performance at all levels and what is in store for 2026 onwards… By Maninderjit Singh (Mike) – Former International & Sec Gen of MHC and FIH Think Tank

Happy New Year 2026 to all my ardent readers and supporters. Firstly apology for not been writing as often as possible since busy with work, family, broadcasting life and managing the Persatuan Veteran Hoki Sultan Ahmad Shah above 50 for the Asia Cup 2025 in Hong Kong and for the first time ever in the history we became the ASIA CHAMPIONS! What a satisfaction & honor to be part of this team.

CHAMPION OF ASIA - HISTORICAL MILESTONE ACHIEVED
- A TRULY MALAYSIAN TEAM

Anyway for everyone’s knowledge that I would not be involved as withdraw from managing the above 50 for the WMH Rotterdam World Cup 2026 in July 2026 as no clarity of support from the Association and its not proper that the financial burden is carried by the players and it will create the similar dilemma as the good player couldn’t afford but the average players makes it as he could afford it, with that, to get a medal in WMH 2026 will be tough, therefore if I am involved my objective is to achieve podium finish as that is always been my way of life in hockey – no nonsense but results oriented personality.

Okay let’s get back to our original topic of the day…

After the failure to many Olympics, when the new changes were made with the hope that we would achieve some prominent results in World Hockey, but in my view as stated below:

Olympics

Last Olympic Malaysia played was in Sydney 2000 – and failed 6 cycles

As for the LA28 – I would officially announced that we would not qualify after reading the qualification process as announced by IOC – Olympic is an IOC product and not belong to FIH as many were voicing about the quota and fairness in the qualification whenever we fail to be Olympics.

Heard that for 2032 Brisbane Olympics – the teams will be reduced from 12 to 10.

World Cups - 2014, 2018 & 2023

Here’s a summary of Malaysia’s men’s national field hockey team (Speedy Tigers) performances at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2014, 2018 and 2023:

Hockey World Cup 2014 — The Hague, Netherlands

Malaysia finished last place 12th place in the tournament but credit must be given because qualified after failing to qualify for 2006 & 2010 WC and FIH maintained 12 teams WC.

Hockey World Cup 2018 — Bhubaneswar, India

Malaysia finished second last 15th place among the 16 teams. Lucky to qualify because FIH expanded from 12 to 16 teams but we finished 2^nd last – first team to arrive and came back in 4 days back home.

Hockey World Cup 2023 — Bhubaneswar & Rourkela, India

Technically, Malaysia finished second last too at 13th place because no classification matches for 13-16 position and its joint at 13 & 15 with 2 teams each. Lucky to qualify because FIH expanded from 12 to 16 teams – if 12 teams WC, Malaysia would not be playing in Olympics and World Cups too.

*as for Women Hockey – we would never qualify for Olympics and World Cup with our current strength and plans. Good for Sea Games and finishing at 5^th In Asia Games and now with FIH expanded Junior World Cup from 16 to 24 teams – Malaysia Junior qualified for 2025 JWC but ended number 22 out of 24 teams.

Men’s Junior World Cup – 2016, 2021, 2023 & 2025

2016 Junior World Cup – Malaysian Junior failed to qualify via Jr Asia Cup and thanks to Pakistan Juniors pulled out and Malaysian Juniors got the wild card to participate.

Malaysia finished 11th place at the 2016 Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in Lucknow, India.

 

2021 Junior World Cup

At the 2021 Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, Malaysia finished 8th place. Due to COVID19 – many top teams pulled out – ENG, AUS, NZ etc…

2023 Junior World Cup

Malaysia hosted the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur (5–16 Dec).

As hosts, Malaysia competed in the tournament. According to historical results, they finished 12th among 16 teams.

 

2025 Junior World Cup – worst ever position No13.

At the 2025 Junior World Cup in India (Tamil Nadu), Malaysia finished 13th place after the classification matches, including a penalty shootout win over Japan.

 

As for the Asia Continental Championship – our latest results:

 

Asian Games 2022

Finished worst ever No 6 placing

 

Asia Champion Trophy 2024

No 6 – last placing of 6 teams

 

Last 3 Junior Asia Cup event results:

2015 – No 5

2023 – No 4

2024 – No 4

 

Other Results

FIH Nation Cup

2024 – no 7^th of 8^th – second last in Poland

2025 – in KL finished no 6 out of 8 teams – 2^nd last

 

Last 2 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup – no podium achievements

2024 – Finished 4^th out of 6

2025 – Finished 4^th out of 6

 

Last 3 Sultan Johor Cup U21 – no podium achievements

2023 – Finished 7^th of 8 teams

2024 – Finished 6th out of 6

2025 – Finished 5th out of 6

The 2024 Men's Asian Champions Trophy

Malaysia finished last - 6th of 6 teams

Sea Games

In our books in our playing days- we use to call this games “The Mickey Mouse tournament and Goodwill Games” based on Asean spirit. But today Sea Games results sounds like winning a medal at World Hockey level. Those days – U18 team will play with 4 or 5 senior players to win the Gold.

This recent Sea Games 2025 – should get 6 Gold Medals but came back with 3 only. Interesting to read in Media, when fail to deliver we give full of excuses but why didn't all these excuses were laid and taken into account before promising a Gold Medal. 

 Indoor Hockey Results

FIH provided 2 slots for Asia rather than 1 slot as previously and Iran always take this one slot – and Malaysia qualified for 2025 Croatia Indoor WC

2025 Indoor WC – finished 2^nd last 11^th of 12 teams by beating Trinidad & Tobago

Lost 2 Sea Games gold Medals in 2023 & 2025 is an unacceptable

 

Hockey5s

My view – it’s an complementary and exhibition hockey sports – it will not be sustainable in years to come as IOC were planning to replace field hockey to Hockey5s but the idea was shot down many years ago.

 

Our Domestic Competition – like MHL/JHL/SUKMA/Razak Cup

To be honest after seeing and doing a comparison of the other top playing Nations – firstly their Calendar is fixed and managed at least one Olympic Cycles (4years) and their quality and standards are way to high compare to ours.

 

In summary – domestic competitions dictates the quality of our current National Teams.

  Overall Performance for 2024 & 2025

Will give 3 out of 10 points. Firstly, we are no longer in World Hockey Map – playing in Olympics and finishing top 10 in World Cups. We are only qualifying to World Cup either Senior of Junior due to FIH expanded the number of teams over the years – no longer the best 12 Teams for FIH Competition – now 16 for World Cup and 24 for JWC.

 

The real indicators of World Hockey is to play in FIH Pro League – that is the real facts on the actual standard – even Pakistan is struggling to perform.

 

In Asia – only India could compete against the World best – the rest like Korea, Japan, Malaysia, China & Pakistan are far away from World Hockey standards.

 

Even Wales & China could beat us nowadays. Scotland, Chile & Austria may be the next forces that could get a win against us soon.

 

Our Rankings has dropped to 15 in June this year and now seating at no 13. May drop further if we don’t get the reasonable results in 2026 competitions.

What are the important tournaments in 2026?

Senior Team – Road to 2026 WC & LA28 Olympics

-      2026 FIH World Cup Qualifying Round in March 2026 – Ismalia, Egypt to host. Our Group will be GRP B with Pak, China and Austria – top 2 to SF and may meet Eng/Japan – will write soon on our chances.

-    2026 World Cup – Belgium & Holland in August 2026

-    2026 Asian Games – Nagoya – September

-    FIH Nation Cup – TBC – may be in Europe and in June

-    Asian Champions Trophy – TBC

-    Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2026

 

LA28 – will write a separate piece but no chance for Malaysian hockey to qualify – two doors to LA28 - the easier door is to win Gold in the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games but beating India outside India is very tough and the rising stars like Japan & China is doing well with their International programs with Pakistan playing in Pro League and the dark horse Korea where Malaysia lost to Korea back to back in recent competition doesn’t augur well. First have to be in Finals and then the slot….2^nd Door is shut for us – based on new format approved by IOC.

 

Junior Team

-          Junior Asia Cup – Top 6 to qualify for 2027 Junior World Cup – TBC

-          Sultan of Johor Cup 2026

 

Asia Cup U18 – Japan

-          Will be held in June in Kakamigahara

 

Indoor Asia Cup 2026 – Qualifying Round to FIH Indoor World Cup 2027 – TBC- Top 2 qualifies – with Kazak and Indo on the rise – we may not make it to next Indoor WC.

Wishing everyone the very best – especially all the stakeholders in hockey and to the fans don’t sip into the perception facts, when you understand the World Hockey, then we will realized the actual situation and the real standards where we are in world hockey map – from World we dropped to Asia and struggling there too at Asia level to achieve podium and when at Sea Games we promised 6 Golds but failed miserably. 

Anyway – nothing personal, just concern as Former International who wants Malaysia to be on World Hockey map in years to come but looking at it will end with this famous statement - Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Happy New Year Everyone and have a blessed New Year ahead…

Hope you enjoyed the above readings - and one thing you have to do is to analyze - are we on track to qualify for LA28 Olympics and finishing top 10 at World Cup stages - Senior or Junior level or go down further in World Hockey map. As for Indoor WC 2026 we will remain at 10 or 11 but can we qualify, and for JWC27 we will also qualify - 24 teams but where we will finish? 

Godspeed...

MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE) - FORMER OLYMPIAN & WORLD CUPPER

By Maninderjit Singh (Mike) – 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Detail Information* *Malaysian Men’s Hockey Journey and the probability of which teams we will face and the grouping?*

Warm Greetings to all my ardent supporters and readers. Been busy and with some time now, and also many people asking me on the chances and how the qualification system work, so decided to pen my views on the Malaysian Men’s Hockey Team journey to 2026 World Cup and providing the processes and facts.

The FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026 will consist of 16 teams. We are lucky as not 12 teams like Olympics and thanks to FIH for expansion from 12 to 16 since 2018 World Cup but this format was used as trial for 2002 KL World Cup. If 12 teams World Cup, we do not have a chance to play, but even with 16, the obstacles and the challengers are quite tough but all depends on the grouping.

The 16 teams are divided by the following quotas and who have qualified:

2 Host – Belgium & Netherlands

2 Pro League – Australia & Spain

5 Continental – India Germany Argentina New Zealand and left last Continental event – African Cup 2025 next month and South Africa will steal that slot.

– more important is the FIH WC Qualifiers where the balance 7 slots.

Let’s zoom in more for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers as this event will be the decider for Malaysian Men hockey team.

There will be 2 (two) FIH Hockey World Cup Qualification Tournaments, consisting of eight (8) teams each (16 teams in total), held in early 2026.

The 16 Teams, in my view are the followings after doing some research and taking certain assumptions with world ranking calculations for African Cup 2025 next month and 3 best matches between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The allocation of the teams for both Tournaments will be based on the FIH World Rankings on 19 October 2025, the day after the last Continental Qualifier. My Seedings on the 16 Teams based on rankings are as below:

1England 2. France 3. Ireland 4. Malaysia 5. Pakistan 6. Korea 7. Wales 8. Egypt 9. Japan 10. Scotland 11. Canada 12. Austria 13. China 14. Poland 15. Chile 16. US

How they will distribute the above 16 teams into 2 venues of 8 Teams

Even pending 2 more events – African Cup 2025 & best of 3 Matches Pak vs Bangladesh, did some calculations and the impact on the seeding is very minimal and the assumption detail below is close to 95% accurate:

– it will be based on a snake system and the teams ranking order of 16 teams in the FIH World Cup Qualification Tournaments will be as follow:

Tournament A 1 Eng, 4 Msia, 5 Pakistan, 8 Egypt, 9 Japan, 12 Austria, 13 China, 16 US

Tournament B 2 France, 3 Ireland, 6 Korea, 7 Wales, 10 Scotland, 11 Canada, 14 Poland, 15 Chile

Then we break it to the pools as follows:

Tournament A will be in Kuala Lumpur as Malaysia got the bid to host one of the WC Qualifiers and Tournament B will be announced soon by FIH:

*IN KL Tournament A grouping will be:*

Grp A – Eng Egypt Jpn US

Grp B – Msia Pak Austria China

*Tournament B (Host yet TBA) grouping will be:*

Grp A – France Wales Scotland Chile

Grp B – Ireland Korea Canada Poland

The tournament format will be as follows:

• Two (2) pools of four (4) teams each;

• Semi-Final will be played by the top two (2) teams from each pool;

• Team not qualified to the semi-finals will play classification matches from 5-8

Note 1: If the 2 hosts are allocated by the snake system to participate in the same tournament, then

the lower ranked of the two hosts will be swapped into the other tournament with the equivalent ranked team allocated to the other tournament.

*How the 7 Teams will be decided that will qualify to 2026 WC with 2 venues:*

• Winners of the Semi-Finals are qualified to the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026

• Winners of the Bronze medal matches are qualified to the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026

• The highest World Ranked team (at midnight on the final day of the qualification tournaments) that finishes in 4th place in each Event will also qualify to the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026

Will write our chances as we get nearer to the event – next assignment for Malaysian Men is 6 warm up matches and Sultan Azlan Shah in Nov 2025 and whereas our Junior Team just came back from China (went twice) and will be playing in Sultan of Johor Cup early next month and thereafter Junior World Cup Nov/Dec in India.

As for Women we qualified to play in World Cup Qualifier but my view its more of exposure and slim chance. Even our Junior World Women team will play in the Junior World Cup – thanks to FIH for the expansion of number of teams from 16 to 24 which I disagree as the competitive edge between top 15 and others are in a big gap and it will be a high goal scoring tournament and some teams will face humiliation and worried the government may reduce their support to the results obtained.

So okay guys, thanks again for being my loyal reader – till my next article – all the best and stay healthy always!

Signing Off…

*Maninderjit Singh (Mike) – 2 Olympics and 2 World Cups with twice Asian All Stars**Former Malaysian Hockey International & Secretary General of MHC/MHF, Member of FIH Think Tank Committee*