SEPANG: The head coach of the national men’s hockey squad, A. Arul Selvaraj, is ready to face any decision made by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) regarding his position after the team failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
He said that he would, however, have a meeting with the president of MHC Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, to discuss whether he still has the mandate to lead the Speedy Tigers, or not.
“My contract was supposed to end on Dec 31 last year but was extended until the qualification (for the Paris Olympics). After this, I will have to discuss it with Subahan.
“If we can continue to collaborate, I’m okay with it. If not, I will move on. Subahan has a lot of support from the team, so I leave it to him to make the decision,” he said upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today, along with the Speedy Tigers squad.
The national team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics slated for July 26 to Aug 11 after finishing at the bottom of Group A with only one point, behind Great Britain, the group champions with nine points, Pakistan with four points, and China with three points, in the qualification round in Muscat, Oman.
Meanwhile, Arul said that he already has his own plans for the national team if the national hockey governing body continues to allow him to coach the Speedy Tigers.
“If I don’t continue with the national team, I will return to Dublin, Ireland. I have an academy there…but I am not thinking about all that right now; my focus is to discuss with Subahan and tell him about my plan. There are still unfinished tasks,” he said.
Arul has been leading the national men’s hockey squad since August 2020, taking over the role from the former head coach, Roelant Oltmans. – Bernama
