KUALA LUMPUR – In a move to enhance skills and give exposure to local hockey players, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) today inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australian club, Territory Stingers.
The MoU will pave the way for more than 50% of Malaysian hockey players to join the Australian Hockey League (AHL) club in the coming years.
The three-year agreement will also allow the Territory Stingers to field its men’s and women’s teams in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), scheduled to run from January 4 to February 22, 2025.
MHC President Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said that this partnership is a testament to the growth and high reputation of the MHL globally.
Subahan added that MHC plans to collaborate with Territory Stingers’ coaches and technical directors to elevate the standards of the National Hockey Development Programme (NHDP).
“It’s an honour for MHC to sign an agreement with Territory Stingers, and we deeply appreciate their interest in joining the MHL. This reflects the respect MHL commands as a high-standard league recognised by some of the world’s top hockey nations,” Subahan said during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium earlier today.
“Having them in our league is hugely beneficial for our players, who will gain valuable experience from competing against some of the best players in one of the world’s premier leagues. We also appreciate their commitment to including more than 50% of our players in the AHL and their club.
“The fact that Territory Stingers will bear the entire expenditure for the next three years under our agreement demonstrates their dedication to developing both their players and ours. Our MoU also includes provisions for local coaches and umpires to collaborate and enhance their skills through Territory Stingers’ expertise.
“As the chairman of the NHDP, I plan to utilise this expertise to elevate our development programme and introduce more age-group tournaments and community hockey initiatives.”
In addition to Territory Stingers, China’s Liaoning – the women’s MHL champions this year – will also send both men’s and women’s teams for next year’s edition, bringing the total number of foreign teams to two.
The MHL, established in 1987, is the premier league competition for field hockey clubs in Malaysia. There are currently seven teams in the league, with Terengganu the defending champions for the 2024 season. – November 25, 2024