Selangor’s Tamil school hockey players gave an incredible performance at the recently organised MHC-QNET National Tamil Schools’ 2nd Edition Hockey Tournament 2024, which took place at the National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil. In a dazzling display of skill and teamwork, the Selangor Star boys team secured a resounding 3-0 victory over the Pulau Pinang Pumas in a fiercely contested final.
Selangor’s triumph was not limited to the boys category, as they also clinched victory in the Under-12 Boys and Girls category, showcasing the prowess of their players across genders. The star player of the girls team was R. Harshini, who has previously represented Selangor in many other Under-12 hockey tournaments.
The boy’s category witnessed a repeat of last year’s final in Johor Bahru, where Selangor triumphed over the same opponents with an identical score at the Hockey Day Stadium. The standout player of the tournament, often referred to as the ‘Wonder-Rocket,’ was N. Santosh. His agility and ball control prowess made him a key strategist, and his explosive scoring abilities became a tough competition for the opposing teams. Santosh, a student from SKJ (T) Ladang Rinching, Semenyih, not only emerged as the top scorer of the tournament with an impressive 19 goals but also earned the title of the tournament’s best player.
Santosh’s teammate and defensive, S. Shamalan, contributed to the team’s success with the first goal from a penalty corner in the fifth minute, displaying a powerful strike. His performance did not go unnoticed by the President of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, who likened him to the legendary penalty corner specialist ‘K. Embaraj’ from the 90s.
The Selangor squad was comprised of 13 players from SKJT Ladang Rinching, with two additional members from SKJT Kajang and SKJT Sungai Buaya. Coach S. Kaalitash showered praise on every player, expressing gratitude for their commitment and team spirit that ensured success. He also announced a congratulatory feast for the victorious team and hinted at new jerseys and equipment to be gifted to them as a token of appreciation for their outstanding efforts.
Along with Subahan Kamal, the prize presentation ceremony was graced by Kuna Senathirajah, the Managing Director of QNET Group, who served as the main sponsor for this championship. Also present were Ganesan Shanmugam, the President of Selangor Hockey, Dominig Savarimuthu, the President of Impact Johor Hockey Club, and several other distinguished guests.
Ganesan was invited to present the Special Awards for Fair Play in both the boy’s and girl’s categories, while former national team star, S. Kuhan, was also in attendance to present the award for the Best Player of the Tournament.
The title of Best Goalkeeper was presented by the former national team’s main goalkeeper, S Kumar, and the Top Scorer award was presented by the CEO of MHC, S. Nishel Kumar, who himself was a former national player.
A total of 12 boys teams and four girls teams, comprising around 300 players, showcased their skills in the Under-12 category in this edition. The participating states included Johor, Pulau Pinang, Pahang, Perak, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor.
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