‘Murugappa Cup offers valuable exposure for Malaysian juniors’

Nor Saiful Zaini Nasir-ud-Din and Dhanraj Pillay share a long friendship, with its share of banter. Saiful still remembers the 1998 Commonwealth Games semifinal, when Pillay apparently “missed a few chances” as Malaysia won 1-0.

“That’s a painful memory for him. You can ask him,” said Saiful, a three-time Olympian, who recalled how they called the former India captain “King” for the way he walked and talked.

Now 60, the former international has another reason to smile after guiding Malaysia’s junior team to the Sultan of Johor Cup title on Saturday, ending a 15-year wait.

“I think with this win, we have a team that we can prepare for the Junior World Cup next year. That’s the motivation we have from this title. We hope these youngsters make the national team. That’s most important for development,” he said on the sidelines of the All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup here on Monday.

The Gold Cup offers valuable exposure against senior Indian sides. “Playing against senior players from India, we see a lot of different skills and a different type of hockey. That is the most valuable thing,” he said.

The tournament also presents a new challenge, with his team playing four matches in as many days.

“Almost after we finished the final (in Johor Bahru), everyone packed up and went straight to the airport. We arrived here yesterday (Sunday), and are playing another game today. The problem is that we have never played four games in a row.

“We need a good plan – playing without getting tired unnecessarily. The rotation must be very good. Everyone has to play, rest and come back,” he said.

Saiful also pointed to the shrinking talent pool in Malaysia, where hockey remains a relatively unpopular sport. “We have only six or seven clubs. It is difficult to find quality players to represent the country. In the 1970s, we had a good mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Sikh players. Now, the hockey population has dropped,” he said.