KUALA LUMPUR: National men’s hockey squad coach Roelant Oltmans is hoping for a positive result in their final friendly match against New Zealand at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow (Thursday) before they depart for Bhubaneswar, India for the World Cup which takes place from November 28 (Wednesday) to December 16 (Sunday).
The Dutch born coach stressed that he will be putting his strongest first-eleven for the final friendly match against the Kiwi’s in efforts to carry out a final analysis of his squad.
The previous two friendly matches against New Zealand did not favour Malaysia as the national side went down 2-1 and 4-3 where there were a couple of glaring weaknesses that were identified which needed immediate attention.
"We will definitely field our strongest side but if there are any injuries then I will need to think of the best alternatives.
"We also need to ascertain the extent of the injury faced by captain Sukri Mutalib.
"The team must perform better in order to get a more positive result compared to the previous two matches before this,” stressed Oltmans.
Sukri was the worse for wear when he was ploughed into by a New Zealand player during the second friendly match which saw him being substituted before he returned in the second quarter after receiving treatment.
"I am sure that all the players are eager to perform to the very best of their abilities especially with the World Cup just around the corner,” said Oltmans.
Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Darren Smith is also hoping that his side can keep their winning momentum going for the third and final match.
"Last week during the first friendly match our players did quite well, and they were able to so once more during the second match. It is very encouraging to see such positive developments especially since the World Cup begins next week,” said Smith.
