PERSONAL VIEW FROM MANINDERJIT SINGH (MIKE) ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MALAYSIAN HOCKEY & WHY ARE WE PLAYING BELOW PAR AT INTERNATIONAL EVENTS....

Warm Greetings to all my ardent readers...

For the last few years, Malaysian hockey underwent a massive turbulence with unrecoverable "air-pocket" tragedy in key major International Hockey Tournaments...

Been writing and saying the real cause on "why we are achieving below par performance" even though with massive transformation plan with many foreign consultants getting involved but yet we are sliding at World map and now even at Continental level...

Recently, there was a new initiative by Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) coming up with their own dedicated PODCAST called "SAM BANG" and posted on YOUTUBE Channel to share the insights on the views.

Interesting to see that - no censorship and the invitee is allowed to speak his mind without holding the real hard fact truth about the topic. As my requirement is always there should not be any narrative or personal agenda about the show, with that, I agreed to be part of this SAM BANG PODCAST few days ago...

Podcast SAMBANG bagi episod keenam SAM bersama Maninderjit Singh @ Mike 

Jam 10:00 malam | 19 November 2024 | Selasa

Topik - Status Malaysian Hockey dipentas Antarabangsa & peluang ke LA28

Please click the below link as there are 3 parts of the PODCAST...

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNrAGEPkllc

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5crrcyRv-A

Part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9LD0mR8SY

Just to be clear that whatever is said in the above 3 parts, the interest of the Nation & Sports was my first priority so that we are back to be in the Olympic Games after failing 6 Olympic Cycle since 2004 Athens till 2024 Paris.

Lucky as the most of FIH events the number of teams are expanded from the original 12 Teams to 16 Teams, even at Junior World Cup - is expanded from 16 to 24 teams and with that, the entry door is wider than those days and due to this expansion we are still playing at Senior & Junior World Cup. 

If the old 12 teams quota system remained, for sure we will be out of these events too as we have fallen badly and my assumption as of today the ranking in world hockey is stated below:

Senior Men Team - 16th or 17th

Jnr Men Team - 14th 

Senior Women Team - 23rd

Jnr Women Team - 19th  

And Malaysian Jnr Women team will also easily qualify due to 5 slots in Junior Asia Cup (decider with Thailand for 5th slot) which previously was only top 3 Asia Team when 16 team JWC. 

For Jnr Men at Asia level, 7 slots including India qualifies to 2025 JWC. Wait and see the results in 2025 JWC, it will a high scoring tournament due to 24 teams - many sub standard teams will be playing especially from Asia ranked 6-7 (Bangladesh, China, Thailand & Taipei), Oceania (PNG or Samoa will qualify) with Zimbabwe or Nigeria from Africa Continental. Many such teams are not ready for World Stage tournament...

I disagree on the expansion of teams, a World Cup is a World Cup, not every player or team could easily qualify to play in such events, the standards and competitive edge must be kept at the highest level possible and best teams keep pushing their benchmark.

Ideally, a Mini World Cup or like the new event call FIH Nation Cup 2 to provide a development team to use such events to grow at International level.

Thank you to all my readers and wishing everyone the very best..

Best Regards

Maninderjit Singh (Mike)

Double Olympian, Double World Cupper & Twice Asian All Star

Former SEC GEN of MHF & MHC