Tuesday January 1, 2013

Girls’ team want to play in junior hockey league

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: A record 27 teams will feature in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) which begins on Jan 11. Last season 26 teams were in the fray.

And for the first time since the inception of the MJHL in 1995, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) girls’ team have submit their entry to play in the boys’ Under-19 league.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF) secretary Johari Aziz said that the Johor school girls’ team are keen to play in the league.

“They have submit their entry. However, we will have a competition committee meeting tomorrow to decide whether to accept their entry,” said Johari.

Johari added that in the past the national women’s team featured in the MJHL because there was lack of women’s domestic competitions.

“We allowed the national women’s team to play in the MJHL because they needed the stiff competition to prepare for their international tournaments,” said Johari.

Some teams are unhappy to have a girls team playing in a boys’ league. Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak)-PKT team manager Joseph de Silva said that it would be a mockery if the competition committee give the green light for the SSTMI girls’ team to play in the league.

“The girls’ team will get hammered and slaughtered by the boys’ team. Furthermore, Matri, which is a Islamic religion school will not allow their boys to play against the girls’ team.

“The girls’ team should not be allow to play in the MJHL,” said Joseph.

Johari said even the boys’ team get thrashed in the league ... so it is no big deal if the girls’ team get a beating.

“They will benefit by playing against the boys. If we allowed them to play in the league, they will feature in Division Two, which is for weaker teams,” said Johari.

Johari, however, was happy that a record 27 teams will be involved in the league.

The eight teams playing in Division One are double champions SSSTMI-Thunderbolt, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), SSTMI Juniors, MBI-Anderson, MSSSPP-USM, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and newly promoted Malacca High School.

The 19 teams in Division Two are BJSS Juniors, Nur Insafi, Tunas Muda Pahang, Anderson Juniors, PHK-MSS Kelantan, SMK Padang Midin of Terengganu, Tunku Besar School of Tampin, OLAK-PKT, Dato Mohd Taha of Gemencheh, KL Sports School, Matri of Perlis, Politeknik KPT of Johor, Sabah Juniors, SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman of Ipoh, 1MAS Penang, Kuala Langat, PHA-Anderson, MSN Perlis, MSN Johor and Kedah Juniors.

Johari said that Politeknik KPT who featured in Division Two last season, have made a request to play in Division One.

“We will decide in the meeting on Wednesday whether to allow the Johor team to play in Division One,” said Johari.

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