KUALA LUMPUR: A. Arul Selvaraj has applied to return as the national men's hockey coach despite the Speedy Tigers' failure to qualify for this year's Paris Olympics.
However, Arul will face stiff competition from 22 other applicants who have submitted their CVs to the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) for the coaching job.
Arul's contract as national coach expired after the Olympic Qualifiers in Muscat, Oman, last month.
One of the top names among the applicants is former India national team coach V. Baskaran.
Baskaran, 73, was the captain when India won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
He also coached India at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups.
Meanwhile, former national coaches Sarjit Singh and K. Dharmaraj are among the local coaches on the list.
Dharmaraj currently has a contract with the Indonesian national team.
MHC coaching committee chairman Datuk Manjit Majid Abdullah revealed that the applicants comprise 18 foreigners and five locals.
"Most of the applicants are from Europe. There are also coaches from India, Pakistan, and Australia who have applied," said Manjit.
"We will screen the 23 applications before shortlisting five candidates for interviews."
The new head coach will select his assistants and decide on coaches for the national junior team.
Malaysia need to find a head coach as soon as possible to prepare for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from May 4-11 and the Nations Cup in Poland from May 31 to June 9.
