KUALA LUMPUR: The Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are gunning for a third straight Charity Shield win against the same team, Tenaga Nasional (TNB), when the two sides meet on Feb 7.
THT chief coach Mohd Harfizi Baharom said although they will be fielding an all-local lineup for this season’s Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), he is confident that they can be just as successful.
“We will be fielding a 100 per cent local lineup, so we must work harder in the opening match.
“Retaining the Charity Shield won’t be easy for any team so we must do our best to ensure victory,” he told a media conference ahead of the MHL Charity Shield here today.
Terengganu have beaten TNB twice in the Charity Shield, winning 3-2 in 2022 and 4-3 last year.
Meanwhile, TNB head coach Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin said his team, boosted by the inclusion of several new faces, are ready for the opening game of the season.
“There is a slight difference this season as we have two former players back in our ranks, namely Shello (Silverius) and Marhan (Jalil),” he said.
He added that they have also acquired the services of South Korean stalwart Jang Jong-Hyun to further strengthen their side.
“I feel that we are ready for our first match (in the Charity Shield),” he said.
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan (NSE) head coach K. Rajan admitted that it would be quite difficult to retain the Women’s Charity Shield against Malaysian University after losing several key players this season.
“Our team is not as strong this year because we’ve lost many national players. However, we have brought in some ex-national players and, hopefully, their experience will come in handy for us,” he said.
Malaysian University head coach Lailin Abu Hassan feels that his team are ready to clinch the Women’s Charity Shield and is currently focusing on coming up with the right tactics for the opening game. –Bernama
