Malaysian hockey squad captain Razie Rahim claims that fans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future, judging by the performance of young Malaysian players at the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The Speedy Tigers’ squad had a fine balance of senior and young players – which allowed them to finish fourth, after losing to New Zealand on penalties in the 3rd-4th classification match.
Razie though was upbeat about his teammates overall showing, claiming that fans should have every reason to be excited about the current crop of youngsters.
“I’m incredibly satisfied with everyone’s performance, especially the youngsters,” he told Harian Metro.
“This tournament was important for them because they learned how to handle themselves in high-pressure matches, especially when you face better teams.
“For example, we made a lot of mistakes in our heavy defeat against India, but we bounced back and put on a strong show in the match against New Zealand.
“As senior players, we will continue to guide the youngsters and hopefully help bring them to the next level,” he added.
Australia won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after beating India 4-0 in the final. New Zealand came in third, while Pakistin ranked fifth. Canada and Japan completed the table, being in sixth and seventh, respectively.
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