KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey midfielder Fitri Saari slams critics for judging the Speedy Tigers’ match quality in their ongoing European tour.
It was reported that critics from the sports fraternity questioned the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) about spending so much money to send the national team to Europe to play three consecutive matches against Belgium’s B team from July 1 to July 5.
For the record, Malaysia won their opening game 3-2, lost their second game 4-2, and won their final game against Belgium B, which fielded a development squad with experience playing in the FIH Pro League, 3-2.
Under the guidance of Sarjit Singh, his charges, with an average age of 25, will spend the next few weeks playing against Olympic-bound teams such as Germany, the Netherlands, and India, as well as German hockey clubs in a friendly series.
It is understood that the European trip is funded by the National Sports Council (NSC).
Speaking to Scoop from Monchengladbach, Fitri said that it is not fair for critics to judge their opponents without knowing the strength and quality they possess.
The veteran midfielder also said that there is no harm in the current young Speedy Tigers team playing against a development team, as these will be the players Malaysia will face in the years to come.
“The critics need to understand the coach’s plan before they speak, as coach Sarjit has a long-term vision. This is a young team, and we need matches like these for our young players to prepare themselves and improve.
“I agree that we played a Belgium B team, but the quality they have is similar to that of the senior team, and it was not easy to overcome them. In fact, we even lost to them in our second game, which shows that they are a competitive side.
“Critics should avoid judging a team just by looking at their ranking and never underestimate any side. In Europe, the intensity and level are much higher. Hence, playing against any team is equally tough, and for our young side to overcome their resilience is already a big achievement.
“It’s sad to see people randomly saying things, as we players do not have this habit of judging our opponents. We respect all our opponents, and it would be great if everyone could shower some positivity on our young team and coach Sarjit,” said Fitri when contacted.
Sarjit, brought in by MHC on a two-year contract in March, selected 18 players from a pool of 30 for his revamped team.
They will next participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China, scheduled from September 8 to 17.
The Speedy Tigers currently rank number 12 in the world with 1,910.30 points. – July 7, 2024
