KUALA LUMPUR – Exactly seven days have passed since Sarjit Singh assumed the esteemed position of head coach for the national hockey team, igniting a blaze of anticipation not only among fans but also his former teammates and friends.
With eager eyes fixed upon him, they envision a journey marked by triumphs and a steadfast commitment to elevate Malaysia’s hockey legacy to unprecedented heights in the coming years.
Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, who once shared the field with Sarjit at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, harbours a fervent wish.
He yearns for the players handpicked by Sarjit to embody not just skill, but an unwavering hunger and desire akin to their coach’s fervour in leading the Speedy Tigers to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I have known Sarjit for a long time, and we have played on the national team together for many years. He’s a very strict and passionate man, and he always gets his priorities right.
“I believe that he’s in the midst of forming a team which will be a mixture of both senior and junior players. I hope that the players in the team that he’s going to form will perform when it matters the most, and they should not bury their Olympic dreams.
“I urge the players that Sarjit is going to bring into his team to ignite the fire within them and continue their progress to ensure that they qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” said Mirnawan when met at the C. Paramalingam Legends Trophy at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium yesterday.
Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, who was Sarjit’s sparring partner when the police officer was once a state hockey player for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, said that he was the best centre-half he had ever seen and played against.
“My memories with Sarjit go back to the ’90s when we used to compete against each other in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) and when I was his sparring partner when he was in the national team.
“He was a great friend, and he was always really good at his game. For me personally, he was the best centre-half that the country has ever seen.
“With his appointment, I hope he will form a formidable and diverse team and bring back the glorious days of the sport,” said Shuhaily.
Meanwhile, former national head coach Stephen Van Huizen, a former stalwart who once shared the field with Sarjit in the triumphant journey to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, offers a sage piece of advice.
Van Huizen has emphasised the importance of discipline and peak fitness among Sarjit’s chosen players, citing that adherence to these principles is non-negotiable if Sarjit harbours ambitions of steering the team towards resounding success.
“The Malaysian Hockey Confederation has made the right choice with the appointment of Sarjit, and this is the time for us to support the national team. With more time given, he will definitely make changes to the team.
“The game has become really modern now, and I hope that he will be able to adapt to the technological aspects of the game. He also needs to evaluate some of the older players in the team and be bold with his decisions.
“He should not compromise with his players’ discipline and fitness, and he has to get the right assistants to lead the team,” said Van Huizen.
The 61-year-old Sarjit, who is under a two-year contract, has scouted between 40 and 42 players from the MHL and will begin training on March 19.
Sarjit, who previously coached the Johor state team, led the national side from January 2007 to December 2008.
The former national hockey captain also coached the national junior team from 2004 to 2006. – March 11, 2024