KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Though missing out on an automatic qualification for the 2012 London Olympics, the national hockey squad are in overdrive mode to make the cut for the London Games.
National coach Stephen Van Huizen said a post-mortem would be done shortly on the team's performance at the Guongzhou Asian Games which concludes today before strategies are put in place for the "Road to London 2012".
"Right now the team will be suspended to allow the players to play in the National League (which will kick off on Dec 3) and will gather again in March next year," he told Bernama when asked to comment on the Youth and Sports Ministry including the hockey squad in its "Road to London 2012" programme.
The national hockey squad, which returned home yesterday, won the silver medal at the Guongzhou Games after losing to Pakistan 0-2 in the final on Thursday.
Following the achievement, a first for Malaysia in Asiad hockey, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Chik announced that the Malaysian men's hockey team would be included in the programme, aimed at winning medals at the pinnacle of world sports.
Meanwhile, George Koshi, the team manager of the men's hockey team, said Stephen Van Huizen, who was only appointed coach in February, had made a positive impact on the team.
"Malaysian hockey is performing very well. In the short period of less than one year, we can see the performance has increased significantly.
"Everybody, coaches, players had worked hard to achieve success. Although we did not win at the Asian Games, the players have performed above expectation," he said.
He added that the momentum needed to be continued so as to ensure the national squad continued to remain winners on the international scene.
National coach Stephen Van Huizen said a post-mortem would be done shortly on the team's performance at the Guongzhou Asian Games which concludes today before strategies are put in place for the "Road to London 2012".
"Right now the team will be suspended to allow the players to play in the National League (which will kick off on Dec 3) and will gather again in March next year," he told Bernama when asked to comment on the Youth and Sports Ministry including the hockey squad in its "Road to London 2012" programme.
The national hockey squad, which returned home yesterday, won the silver medal at the Guongzhou Games after losing to Pakistan 0-2 in the final on Thursday.
Following the achievement, a first for Malaysia in Asiad hockey, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Chik announced that the Malaysian men's hockey team would be included in the programme, aimed at winning medals at the pinnacle of world sports.
Meanwhile, George Koshi, the team manager of the men's hockey team, said Stephen Van Huizen, who was only appointed coach in February, had made a positive impact on the team.
"Malaysian hockey is performing very well. In the short period of less than one year, we can see the performance has increased significantly.
"Everybody, coaches, players had worked hard to achieve success. Although we did not win at the Asian Games, the players have performed above expectation," he said.
He added that the momentum needed to be continued so as to ensure the national squad continued to remain winners on the international scene.
-- BERNAMA
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