Sports

Wednesday November 22, 2006

Hockey: Forward Ahmad aching to get back his scoring touch

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin is a worried hockey centre forward after firing blanks for the national team in the last 10 matches.

The former Junior World Cupper last scored in the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in June. But he hit a drought in five matches against Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS) in Bukit Jalil last month and another five matches against the Chinese national team in Lanzhou recently.

Ahmad said that it was a major disappointment and it did not augur well for him for Doha Asian Games.

“I am worried about my scoring ability. I failed to score against an unfancied team like the WAIS. I also did not score against China and my selection in the final squad of 16 for Doha is a surprise,” said Ahmad.

“I thanked the selectors for naming me in the team. Getting my scoring act right again will be the biggest challenge for me in Doha.”

Ahmad made his senior team debut in a playing tour of Japan last year and he has scored six goals in 20 international matches. He was in the team who won the bronze medal in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March and had one goal to his credit.

Ahmad added that the exclusion of experience forward Ismail Abu from the squad to Doha came as a shock to him.

“Leaving out Ismail will definitely put more pressure on me to deliver the goals. Ismail is my partner in the forwardline. I hope to forge a good understanding with the others in Doha,” he said.

The other forwards in the team are Chua Boon Huat, Azlan Misron, Jiwa Mohan and 19-year-old Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim, who has only six international caps to his credit.

Malaysia are drawn in Group A with Pakistan, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Malaysia open their campaign in the Asiad against Pakistan on Dec 4 and Ahmad said: “I will be out to help Malaysia do well.

“It will be great to get my first against Pakistan and end my goal drought in Doha.”

The team will leave for Doha on Saturday and they are scheduled to play two friendly matches against India and China.

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