Fitness Still A Work In Progress For Speedy Tigers
KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 – National men's hockey head coach Sarjit Singh admits that his players' fitness levels are still well below the standard required to match top Asian sides like South Korea, Japan, and China.
While the Speedy Tigers have shown steady improvement from match to match, Sarjit emphasised that his squad is still on a 'long journey' toward reaching their peak.
'It's still a long way because our fitness needs to be much, much better. It's good, but not good enough. Teams like South Korea, Japan, and China aren't just strong sides; their fitness levels are about three times higher than ours,' he said.
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'If we can match that, I know our team will be heading in the right direction. Like I've said before, we need that experience. It's very important. The more matches these players get, the better they'll become,' he told reporters at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.
Malaysia's hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the 2024–25 Men's FIH Hockey Nations Cup were dashed despite their 2–1 win over Japan.
Asked when the team realised there were still gaps in fitness, Sarjit said the issue had been identified early on, which is why the squad travelled to South Korea earlier this year to sharpen their game and gain valuable experience.
With a semi-final berth no longer in sight, Sarjit is now fully focused on guiding his team to a fifth-place finish and hopes fans will continue to rally behind the Speedy Tigers.
'That's why I regrouped the boys quickly, to get the focus back. We're now fully locked in on finishing fifth. We must get that fifth spot.
'We can't afford to be playing for seventh or eighth, that's not an option. South Africa will be tough, but if they play the way they've been playing, I don't see why we can't beat them,' he told reporters.
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