KUALA LUMPUR: Former national player Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin (pic) has been reappointed head coach of the national junior hockey team for the second time in five years.
Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said Nor Saiful will guide the Young Tigers for three years, replacing I. Vikneswaran, who intends to fully concentrate on developing the sport in Kuala Lumpur.
“Thank you to our coaching committee for their proposal to appoint Nor Saiful.
“He knows the ins and outs of national hockey and we hope this appointment will further inspire coach Nor Saiful to take national hockey to a higher level,” he told a media conference here yesterday.
Subahan said Nor Saiful’s first major assignment with the Young Tigers will be the 2025 Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup (JWC) in Chennai, India from Nov 28-Dec 10.
Meanwhile, Nor Saiful, who first coached the Young Tigers from 2016-2020, has drawn up a short-term plan to raise the physical and mental fitness levels of the players ahead of the Junior World Cup.
The former Olympian also hopes to find at least 30 players with the potential to be roped into the national junior squad for the tournament in Chennai.
He said he wants the Young Tigers to beat the teams ranked below them and to give a good fight to the higher-ranked teams at the Junior World Cup.
The national juniors confirmed their place in the Junior World Cup after finishing fourth in the 2024 Men’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman.
Malaysia finished 12th out of 16 teams in the previous edition of the Junior World Cup which it hosted in 2023.
Meanwhile, Vikneswaran believes that the appointment of Nor Saiful would not only have a positive impact but also raise the performance levels of the Young Tigers to greater heights.
In February, Vikneswaran retained the post of president of the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) for the 2024-2025 term after being returned unopposed at the committee elections. – BERNAMA
