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KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team have been told to focus on their main target for the year – the Asian Games – and not compete in too many outings.
The National Sports Council (NSC) said that the team, who started their training programme yesterday, should remember that the main target is to win a gold medal at the Asiad in Guangzhou, China, in November.
The team’s other major assignment is the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.
NSC director for elite programme Ariffin Ghani said yesterday that the team should learn from their 2006 campaign and not spread themselves thin by having two targets within a short time.
Hard at work: Nat ional coach Stephen van Huizen watching his players go through the paces during the first day of training yesterday.
The NSC and the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) will meet on Wednesday to discuss the team’s programme for the year.
The 25 players, who began training yesterday, will come under the NSC’s 2010 Asiad-Commonwealth Games Challenge programme, which offers full-time training.
“We must get our priorities right. In 2006, we won the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games and then failed in the World Cup qualifiers a month later and the Asian Games as well,” said Ariffin.
“The same players were used for the tournaments and they failed to raise their game. So, learn from it. There is no reason why we cannot keep the core players for the Asian Games and use the younger players for the Commonwealth Games as this will provide useful exposure for the juniors.”
The winners of the Asian Games will also gain automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics.
Ariffin also said that there was no reason why they could not have more than 25 players in the training squad.
“It is up to the MHF to make the request. By having more players, the MHF can prepare two sides for the two challenges. We’ll leave it to the MHF to decide,” he said.
“It is important for us to focus on the right targets.”
Ariffin also said that since the players were in full-time training, they would stay at Casa One in the Bukit Jalil Complex.
The 25 players, who are training under coaches Tai Beng Hai and Stephen van Huizen, underwent a medical check-up at the National Sports Institute (NSI) yesterday.
The National Sports Council (NSC) said that the team, who started their training programme yesterday, should remember that the main target is to win a gold medal at the Asiad in Guangzhou, China, in November.
The team’s other major assignment is the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.
NSC director for elite programme Ariffin Ghani said yesterday that the team should learn from their 2006 campaign and not spread themselves thin by having two targets within a short time.
Hard at work: Nat ional coach Stephen van Huizen watching his players go through the paces during the first day of training yesterday.
The NSC and the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) will meet on Wednesday to discuss the team’s programme for the year.
The 25 players, who began training yesterday, will come under the NSC’s 2010 Asiad-Commonwealth Games Challenge programme, which offers full-time training.
“We must get our priorities right. In 2006, we won the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games and then failed in the World Cup qualifiers a month later and the Asian Games as well,” said Ariffin.
“The same players were used for the tournaments and they failed to raise their game. So, learn from it. There is no reason why we cannot keep the core players for the Asian Games and use the younger players for the Commonwealth Games as this will provide useful exposure for the juniors.”
The winners of the Asian Games will also gain automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics.
Ariffin also said that there was no reason why they could not have more than 25 players in the training squad.
“It is up to the MHF to make the request. By having more players, the MHF can prepare two sides for the two challenges. We’ll leave it to the MHF to decide,” he said.
“It is important for us to focus on the right targets.”
Ariffin also said that since the players were in full-time training, they would stay at Casa One in the Bukit Jalil Complex.
The 25 players, who are training under coaches Tai Beng Hai and Stephen van Huizen, underwent a medical check-up at the National Sports Institute (NSI) yesterday.
