KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey player Naaveennash Panicker aims to inspire Indian youths to take up the sport through his performances for the Speedy Tigers.
Hailing from a family of athletes, the 18-year-old forward from Brickfields was selected by head coach Sarjit Singh’s to join the revamped 30-player team after his successful campaign in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) for TNB Thunderbolts this season.
His father S. Thevendran played club-level football, while his brother Kavinash played hockey for Kuala Lumpur during the 2018 Perak Malaysia Games and represented Sabah in the 2020 MHL.
Additionally, his mother, Praba Yuvadas, was a former sprinter.
Speaking to Scoop, Naaveennash expressed his pride in being the first player of Indian descent to be part of the national hockey team since S. Kumar in 2020.
Kumar was a former national goalkeeper who had a 20-year career with the Speedy Tigers.
The Tampin-born ex-Speedy Tiger helped Malaysia win silver medals at the 2010 Asian Games (Guangzhou), the 2018 Asian Games (Jakarta-Palembang), and the 2017 Asia Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The 46-year-old, with 321 international appearances, was also named the Best Goalkeeper at the FIH World League Round Three in London after helping Malaysia finish fourth and qualify for the 2018 FIH Men’s World Cup.
Kumar retired from international competitions in 2020 and was appointed as a coach for the national team by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) that same year.
“I’m happy to be someone from the Indian community to finally emerge in the national hockey scene after S. Kumar. It’s a proud moment for me, but I don’t want to take it for granted.
“I want to be a role model to all the Indian boys out there, to inspire them to pick up hockey through my performances for the national team.
“There are so many talented Indian players out there, and if I can break into the squad, I’m sure they can also get into the national and state teams if they put in the same effort as me,” said Naaveennash when met at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh last week.
Naaveennash, who hopes to make his Speedy Tigers debut in the Nations Cup after missing out on the final 18-player list at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, aspires to achieve success in the sport like his idol Jamie Dwyer.
Jamie was a former Australian hockey player who made 326 appearances for the Kookaburras, scoring 215 goals from 2001-2016.
The 45-year-old has three Olympic medals, winning gold in the 2004 edition in Athens and two bronze medals in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London editions.
“Jamie is someone I look up to as he was known as one of the best players in the world. I watch his videos on YouTube every day and always try to emulate what he does on the turf. I hope to be like him in the years to come.
“I also wish to play like Faizal Saari. He’s the perfect player in the penalty box, and I want to score as many goals for the country as he does.
“I firmly believe that in the next one to two years, and by gaining experience from all the players in the Speedy Tigers squad, I can be one of the top strikers in the national hockey scene.
“Right now, I don’t have much experience playing against international teams except for the two friendlies I played against South Korea and New Zealand prior to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
“Once I get more exposure and experience at the Nations Cup, I can become one of the top players,” Naaveennash added.
The Nations Cup is scheduled to take place in Poland from May 31 to June 9, with the Speedy Tigers grouped with Canada, France, and Pakistan in Pool B. – May 17, 2024
