The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has voiced their support for I.Vikneswaran to take charge of the national junior team, but he is yet to confirm his return. With the Junior World Cup (JWC) in India approaching swiftly from 28th November-10th December, the need to have a head coach is urgent.
The upcoming Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in May and June presents a crucial need to train the players for the tournament. MHC’s coaching committee chairman, Datuk Majid Manjit Abdullah, believes Vikneswaran is the best candidate this role.
“He is currently in India, and once he returns after Hari Raya, I will meet him to discuss coaching the national junior team,” said Datuk Majid Manjit.
While Sarjit Singh holds the position of national chief coach for both junior and senior teams, his commitments to the senior squad, especially for the Nations Cup in Bukit Jalil from 15th June-21st June, make it necessary to have a dedicated junior coach.
51 years old, Vikneswaran has been involved with Malaysia’s junior hockey scene for a long time now. He previously served as a team manager for the last two Junior World Cups in 2021 and 2023 before being promoted as the head coach in April 2023. Under his leadership, the Malaysian junior squad known as the Young Tigers finished fourth in the Junior Asia Cup in Oman last December securing their place at the JWC.
However, despite the achievement, the junior team has not centralized the training since the tournament, which raised concerns about their preparation for the JWC. Without a structured program in place, Malaysia’s young talents risk falling behind their global competitors.
The main question that everyone has is if Vikneswaran is willing to return and take this. His decision will be pivotal in shaping Malaysia’s prospects at the JWC, and the MHC eagerly awaits for his response upon his return from India.
Sources: NST
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