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 We select players based on outdated physical benchmarks.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
