KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s hockey head coach, Arul Selvaraj, is banking on the scientific method to propel the Speedy Tigers to a top-two finish in the group stage of the upcoming Paris Olympic qualifiers in Oman.
Introducing psychological, brainwave, and GPS training, Arul believes his players are now on par with some of the emerging hockey powerhouses globally.
“I have seen a lot of progress in my players since taking over this job three years ago.
“They have grown, and our statistics show for itself. The players are well-equipped with everything they need to elevate their gameplay, with myself, the other coaches, and the nutritionist,” he said in a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, here today.
Arul is also confident in the progress made by his players through the implementation of these groundbreaking techniques.
However, he acknowledged the challenge of limited competitive matches, citing budget constraints preventing participation in the FIH Men’s Pro League.
“We don’t have the budget to rub shoulders to play in the FIH Men’s Pro League, and now we are working on more affordable options by playing friendly matches against New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and India regularly so that the players can be even more competitive.
“Our targets and the players’ actions have to be aligned, and the players have owned it to secure the top two spots in the group stage of the Olympic qualifiers,” he added.
Arul has selected 18 players for the Olympic qualifiers in Muscat, Oman from January 13 to 21.
Unfortunately, veteran attacker Faizal Saari, who has scored a total of 176 goals in 226 appearances since making his senior debut in 2009, is sidelined due to a lingering gout injury, incurred during the Hangzhou Asian Games match against Pakistan in September.
While eight junior players from the Junior World Cup team did not make the final cut, Arul praised their commitment during training sessions with the senior team.
“I just wanted them to feel the heat of the high-intensity training of their seniors so that they could be prepared,” he added.
With Malaysian hockey absent from the Olympics since Sydney in 2000, Arul sees the Paris Olympics as a do-or-die mission, with strong backing from the Youth and Sports Ministry, National Sports Council (NSC), and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
This would be their last chance to qualify after failing to get a direct qualification at the Asian Games.
Grouped with Great Britain, Pakistan, and China in Pool A, Arul’s Speedy Tigers currently hold the 12th position in the world rankings with 1,881.87 points. – January 5, 2024