Will Malaysia spring a surprise at the World Cup?

THE HAGUE: Malaysia are back in the Hockey World Cup after 12 long years. No wonder they will go into the tournament, which begins on Saturday in The Hague, Holland, as the lowest ranked team at No. 13.

Frankly, the last time Malaysia made the World Cup on merit was in 1998 (Utrecht). In 2002, their participation was due to them hosting the tournament and an extended number of teams.