KUALA LUMPUR: The Speedy Tigers will be testing their mettle before the Nations Cup this June as they are scheduled for a short playing tour in South Korea starting on Sunday until May 19.
More interestingly, team manager for the national men’s squad Datuk Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak said the tour would be fully sponsored by the South Korean Sports Ministry which invited the Malaysian team under head coach Sarjit Singh to visit the country.
Ahmad Najmi said the campaign would be the final preparation before the Speedy Tigers get off the blocks for the Nations Cup scheduled to be hosted in Kuala Lumpur from June 15-21.
“We will bring 22 players (to Korea), there are a few changes to the team compared to the one that went on a playing tour of Australia (last month). After South Korea, coach Sarjit will announce the line-up for the Nations Cup,“ he said during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium here today.
Meanwhile, Sarjit hopes that his players will be able to improve on their fitness and discipline since South Korea have the advantage in both elements.
“(The) Korea game is more about discipline and fitness, and also in Korea we need to have man-to-man marking which we are very weak at. So this will be a very good test for our boys. For the Nations Cup, we already have enough tournaments for the run-up. Our target is long term,“ he said.
In April, the Speedy Tigers travelled Down Under to play six friendly matches in the Australian Tour series.
The Speedy Tigers are slated to compete in several tournaments this year, including the Asia Cup, which offers an automatic slot to the 2026 FIH men’s World Cup (in Netherlands and Belgium) for the winning team.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in India from Aug 27 to Sept 7.
The generosity of South Korea to sponsor Malaysia to cross swords in a short friendly tour is a mutually-profitable experience as Korea are also playing in the June Nations Cup.
In addition, the Speedy Tigers will also participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from Nov 22-29 and the Thailand SEA Games from Dec 9-20.
