KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has secured a special allocation of RM2 million from the Finance Ministry to develop its five-a-side hockey team over the next five years.
It was reported that Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had requested an allocation of RM3.9 million from the Finance Ministry for the five-year development of the hockey5s team after their remarkable performance in the inaugural International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Hockey5s World Cup, held in Oman in February this year.
Under the guidance of coach Wallace Tan, the Malaysian men’s team finished as silver medalists, succumbing to a 2-5 defeat against the Netherlands in the final, while the women’s team secured a commendable sixth-place finish.
Speaking to Scoop, MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal revealed that his governing body has been allocated RM400,000 a year to prepare the men’s and women’s hockey5s team for the 2028 Hockey5s World Cup and upcoming international tournaments amounting to RM2 million from the Finance Ministry via the National Sports Council.
The national men’s and women’s five-a-side hockey teams have so far received invitations to play in invitational tournaments in Russia (August 15-20) and Thailand (November 25-30).
He further said that the special allocation will also be used by the governing body to organise this year’s National Hockey5s League and other future tournaments in the years to come.
“We would like to thank the Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh for looking after the hockey5s team very well since we became runners-up in the World Cup.
“There is no doubt she has done her utmost in helping the team in every way, and we are truly grateful for the special allocation of RM2 million for the development of the game over the next five years, amounting to RM400,000 each year.
“We have pledged to ensure that this funding will solely be used for the development of hockey5s. Without any special allocations over the years, the team has managed to perform well, and we are confident we can achieve even better results in the next five years with the new allocation.
“The funds provided will also be used for our participation in several invitational tournaments, including those set to take place in Russia and Thailand.
“Additionally, we will use the money to organise our National Hockey5s League next month, for which we have witnessed a high number of participants this year.
“We also hope to organise several invitational tournaments for teams to come and play at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium.
“At MHC, we will ensure that we continue to nurture as much talent as possible for the 2028 World Cup, moulding these talents by providing extensive game time and exposure in several tournaments through the funding given.
“We are on course to achieve more in the sport and bring glory to the nation. Hence, once again, we are grateful to the sports minister and her ministry for their support of hockey5s and the development of the sport as a whole,” said Subahan when contacted.
This year’s National Hockey5s League, scheduled from July 16 to 20 at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, will feature a total of 15 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams.
Pahang, Penang, Melaka, Polis Diraja Malaysia, Sarawak, Perlis, Perak, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and Kedah, are among the teams participating in this year’s league.
The national men’s hockey5s team is currently ranked number two in the world with 1,400.00 points, while the women’s team ranks number six with 1,250.00 points. – June 23, 2024
