KUALA LUMPUR – National hockey midfielder Fitri Saari is ready to once again ply his trade in foreign leagues should he receive an offer.
The veteran midfielder’s response comes after head coach Sarjit Singh told Scoop that Monchengladbach, competing in Germany’s top flight, the Feldhockey Bundesliga, were currently interested in bringing a Malaysian forward on board to strengthen their team.
Sarjit also said that 10 to 12 of his players were on the radar of clubs participating in the Hockey India League.
Speaking to Scoop from Monchengladbach, Fitri said that playing in foreign leagues over the years had moulded him into a more competitive player and taught him how to adapt to different playing styles from across the world.
“I’m not sure whether I’m on coach Sarjit’s list of offers he has received from foreign clubs, but if I happen to be on the list, it will be beneficial for me as a whole,” said Fitri when contacted.
“I’m a person who loves to elevate my play; hence, it will be a great platform for me to keep improving and learning more about the game.
“But not only for myself, even if the young players get a chance to play abroad, it will help them a lot with quality game time and match experiences as they will get to rub shoulders with some of the best in the world.
“If we look at teams like Argentina that became the Olympic champions in Rio 2016, it is because of their players’ experiences in playing in foreign leagues and tournaments in Europe, which made them a formidable side.
“This is a great initiative and vision by coach Sarjit, and I hope more of us from the team can get to play in more foreign leagues in the years to come for the betterment of the team,” Fitri added.
For the record, Fitri, together with his brother Faizal Saari, recently made waves in Bangladesh’s top-tier hockey league with Mohammedan SC in March this year.
The Speedy Tigers currently rank number 12 in the world with 1,910.30 points. – July 8, 2024
