Hockey: Four World Cuppers dropped for Asian Games

Forward Ismail Abu who played in the World Cup has been left out from the Asian Games squad. - filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Four hockey players from the World Cup squad are out of the reckoning for the Asian Games.

They are Faizal Saari, Ramadan Rosli and Ismail Abu while forward Hafifihafiz Hanafi is left out due to injury.

Newly appointed interim coach A. Arulselvaraj named his shortlist of 20 players for the final phase of training on Wednesday.
 
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) will drop four players from the list prior to the Games. Each team are allowed 16 players for the Incheon Games.

Arulselvaraj has named three goalkeepers in the shortlist and if he decides to take only one goalkeeper then only two field players will be dropped from the list.

Players from the Commonwealth Games squad who have made the shortlist are defender Baljit Singh, Izwan Firdaus, Meor Azuan, Hafizuddin Othman and Norhizzat Sumantri.

Arulselvaraj said that he needs more time with the players to decide on his final 16.

“There are options for us like taking only one goalkeeper. I have narrowed down the players and I will now concentrate on these batch,” he said. Time is short and as such we are looking at all options available. I will try and fit in some matches to give the players a chance to work on their combinations.”

Arulselvaraj took over from K. Dharmaraj who had handled the senior team for the last four assignments. But issues in the team forced the MHC to replace the entire team management with a new set of officials.

The other players who have been dropped will be allowed to play in the Razak Cup tournament which starts in Kuantan on Friday.