Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) is poised to continue the juggernaut against Maybank in the two-leg TNB Cup semi-finals that gets underway tomorrow, not thinking much of the supposedly psychological ploy by distractors to dampen the defending champions mental preparation and journey towards the March 2 final.
Fresh from winning the Premier League title for the first time last week, Arul Selvaraj’s UniKL and Maybank, coached by Azrul Effendy Bistamam, go face-to-face in a high-voltage encounter for the third time this season at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium (play-off at 3pm).
UniKL and Maybank played each other twice in the home-and–away Premier League format with the varsity team pulling off 5-1 win in the first round tie and laboured to a 2-1 victory in the second that saw the Tigers fought valiantly before gown down.
The second semi-finals match is between Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Terengganu Hockey Team (5pm). The return-leg semi-finals is on Thursday (February 28).
In an encouraging message to all players during a luncheon event last Saturday to celebrate UniKL’s maiden Premier League triumph, Universiti Kuala Lumpur President and Chief Executive Officer, Prof Dato’ Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su’ud, said:
“We have come a long way in the development of hockey in UniKL and this season has seen a great effort by the team in winning the Premier League title for the first time, As TNB Cup defending champions, we will focus on one match at a time with the aim of winning and moving on from there.”
“We have to produce a much better performance against Maybank in the two-leg semi-finals with the resources available and I have a lot of confidence in the players,” he added.
The luncheon was an invitation by Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the Chili’s Restaurant in Vertical Mall. The King is also the Chancellor of UniKL.
UniKL, however, are upbeat for the TNB Cup after completing their foray in the Premier League with an unbeaten record of 11 wins and a draw to finish top of the pool with 34 points.
The TNB Cup defending champions have inducted Netherlands Martijn Peter Havenga, Robbert Huib Kemperman and Valentin Verga, Australians Kieran Govers and Timothy Deavin, as well as Ireland captain and goalkeeper David Harte.
Kemperman and Havenga have each scored six goals in the league, Verga three and Govers two goals respectively.
But the team looks forward to a morale boosting performance from penalty corner specialists Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim and Havenga against the Tigers, whose confidence seem to grow gradually following a lacklustre performance in the early stage of the league.
Razie is the third highest scorer in the league with 11 goals to his credit – eight from penalty corner conversions, two field goals and a penalty stroke while scored six. THT’s South Korean forward Jang Jonghyun leads with 15 goals and Maybank’s Hafifihafiz Hanafi has 13.
With a full squad at his disposal, UniKL coach Arul has promised to give Maybank a tough game.
“It is always a great feeling to be tagged as favourites. The TNB Cup is a different ball game and there is nothing to lose. We have seen upsets. Like last year we finished fourth in the league compared to THT and in the semi-finals we beat them,” observed Arul.
“Our approach is simple. We will take one game at a time against Maybank with the direction of qualifying for the Cup final again. That has always been our goal,” he added.
A high-voltage show is surely on the cards!
