KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey head coach Sarjit Singh wants Nur Rahul Hrsikesa Thaitchana Muruthi to improve his positioning if he hopes to become a lethal striker for the Speedy Tigers in the years to come.
The gaffer’s analysis of the 26-year-old attacker comes after his side’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of France in their second Nations Cup match in Gniezno, Poland, on Monday.
The 61-year-old Sarjit, who was brought in by the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) on a two-year contract, was seen shouting at Rahul’s lacklustre performance on the turf from the touchline during the match.
For the record, Rahul was chosen by Sarjit for the 18-player squad after a successful campaign in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) with NurInsafi.
The Penangite scored 18 goals for the KL-based club, finishing third in the scoring charts behind Terengganu’s Faizal Saari (23 goals), and Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal (32 goals).
Speaking to Scoop from Gniezno, Sarjit said that he was impressed with Rahul’s overall performance and believes that the versatile attacker will improve in time.
“To be honest, I was not angry with his performance. He played well in the game, but all I wanted him to do was to position himself better.
“He has a lot of potential, and I can see him having a bright future. Sometimes he just doesn’t know where to run and be in the right position, and he also needs to focus on his line.
“Issues like this in his gameplay can be improved in the days to come. He’s still new, and it will take some time for him to adapt to the system. I’m confident that he will become better in the years to come,” said Sarjit when contacted.
At the same time, Sarjit also cautioned his side not to take Canada lightly when both sides meet in their final Pool B match later tonight.
“We shouldn’t underestimate Canada just because they are in bad form right now. The Nations Cup is one of the most intense tournaments that we have experienced so far, and nobody can predict the outcome.”
“Of course, we have to win against them, but we also need to be aware that they will show up against us. Hence, we need to be vigilant and try to overcome them with our gameplay.
“I’m hoping for my boys to instil a winning mentality in them, and I’m confident that my boys will be able to deliver. For now, we are only approaching each game on a step-by-step basis.
“I will not be disappointed with my boys even if we fail to qualify for the next round, as at the end of the day, I will be happy that my boys have learned a lot of valuable lessons from this tournament that can be carried forward to other competitions in the future,” Sarjit added.
For the record, Malaysia’s last victory against Canada came in the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where they won the match 6-2.
Malaysia currently ranks third in Pool B of the Nations Cup with one point from two matches.
The top two from Pool A and Pool B will play in the semifinals, while the winner of the tournament will qualify for next season’s FIH Pro League. – June 5, 2024
