Former Malaysian hockey coach Muhammad Dharma Raj says hearing the national anthem while coaching Indonesia is an emotional experience
FORMER national women’s hockey head coach Muhammad Dharma Raj Abdullah has again thwarted Malaysia’s gold medal ambitions, this time at the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok.
Serving as Technical Director and men’s indoor head coach for Indonesia, he guided the team to a successful gold medal defence against Malaysia.
Indonesia won 2-0 in a penalty shootout after a 4-4 draw in regulation time at the Bangkok Youth Centre.
This marks the second consecutive SEA Games where Dharma Raj has led Indonesia to victory over Malaysia in the final.
Despite his pivotal role for Indonesia, the 55-year-old Malaysian admits his love for his homeland remains strong.
“Every time I stand and hear Negaraku being played while I’m on the other side, my emotions are unsettled,” he said.
He explained that he holds back from singing along for fear of being caught on camera.
“I love my country, I’m patriotic,” Dharma Raj added, noting he has built his career in Indonesia over six years.
He said the anthem affects him every time it is played at international tournaments.
Reflecting on Indonesia’s latest victory, he attributed success to meticulous preparation.
His squad underwent about four months of intensive training in Germany and Spain specifically for the showdown with Malaysia.
“I had been waiting for this match for 15 months,” Dharma Raj revealed.
He stated that from the first day of training, he anticipated facing Malaysia in the final.
“This gold was extremely important for us,” he said, explaining it ensures continued attention and support.
Dharma Raj was appointed Technical Director of the Indonesian national hockey team in March 2021.
His contract runs until December 2025 after a prior role with the West Java hockey programme.
Indonesian hockey has shown significant improvement since his arrival, with this being their second straight SEA Games gold.
The country’s indoor teams finished fourth and runners-up respectively at the 2022 Asia Cup.
Indonesia’s outdoor hockey teams also qualified for the 2022 Asian Games.
With Malaysia, Dharma Raj led the women’s team to gold at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
He also guided the national men’s junior hockey team to fourth place at the 2013 Junior World Cup.
