KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has refuted claims that junior players were solely responsible for covering the costs associated with their selection process for the upcoming Junior Asia Cup (JAC).
This response came after a viral post on Telegram showing a leaked letter from MHC asking its state associations to pay for the 35 players selected for the first training phase for JAC, which is scheduled to take place in Muscat, Oman, this November.
It was understood that the leaked letter also stated that state associations must cover their players’ expenses, while MHC would only provide accommodation and meal allowances.
Speaking to Scoop, MHC’s chief executive officer V. Jayanandhan said the state affiliates are fully aware of the procedures set by the governing body as MHC will only bear full costs for the players if they are selected for the national team.
“We deny the allegations that the junior players have to bear all the costs themselves. The states clearly understand their responsibilities, and I have no idea why this issue is being unnecessarily circulated.
“MHC will only cover the costs of their meal allowance and accommodation (selection and training sessions), and to be fair, we have even booked apartments for the players near the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium to make it easier for them to attend the training sessions.
“The only cost that we, as a governing body, do not bear is the players’ travel expenses when they come for training from their respective states.
“To be fair, before we selected the 35 players, we invited all states to send up to 100 players to ensure a fair selection process for the upcoming JAC tournament.
“As a governing body, we need to be prudent with spending, and we cannot cover the players’ travel expenses as well. The state associations should step up and handle the travel costs, as we have been providing them RM50,000 annually for their administrative and logistical expenses.
“We are not as wealthy an organisation as some people believe, and we cannot be spoon-feeding the states by paying for players’ travel allowances,” said Jayanandhan when contacted.
At the same time, Jayanandhan urged those with issues to stop stirring controversy and address their concerns diplomatically to the governing body to find solutions.
“We are doing our best with the limited funding we have had over the years, striving to support our national hockey teams at all levels. It is unfair for certain individuals to make these kinds of allegations.
“If anyone has concerns about how the governing body manages situations, they are welcome to meet with us at our office to discuss and provide input. We are open to discussions so we can reflect and improve.
“We hope that people will stop making blind accusations and work together for the betterment of the sport,” Jayanandhan added.
MHC’s main target for the junior team is to qualify for next year’s Junior World Cup in India through the Junior Asia Cup.
The 35 players were selected by head coach I. Vikneswaran will be training from September 2 to September 17, with the squad likely to be trimmed to 23-25 players for the Junior Asia Cup.
Selangor Hockey Association president Ganesh Shanmugam is currently the new team manager of the national junior squad. – September 9, 2024