KUALA LUMPUR, 16 Sept – Firhan Ashaari has been assured that his place in the national hockey training squad is not jeopardized despite the strike’s absence from the Razak Cup which begins at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
The international has withdrawn from the Terengganu Razak Cup team. Powered by former internationals – Saari brothers Faizal and Fitri – Terengganu is one of the favorites for the Razak Cup and is coached by Tai Beng Hai.
The 27-year-old is still mourning the sudden death of his two-year-old daughter Nurul Ayra Delisha who passed away on Saturday.
National hockey chief coach A. Arulselvaraj will use the Razak Cup as the selection ground to pick the national training squad. The East Coast state is drawn together with Police, Armed Forces, and Kelantan.
Arul who hails from Johor was in Kulai visiting his parents but cut short his visit and rushed back to Kuala Lumpur to attend the funeral and be with Firhan who called him to inform the sad news
“It is a tragedy…burying your own child. I have spoken to Firhan and told him to ‘forget’ hockey for now and be with his wife who expecting the couple’s second child.
“I have told Firhan that he will not be deprived of a place in the national training squad,” said Arul who took over the hot seat from Dutchman Roelant Oltmans who has quit the job and returned home – citing family commitments as his reasons.
“For now he is not in the right frame of mind. Under the circumstances, Firhan certainly deserves to be given a chance. He is an all-round player and based on the number of international caps speaks of his capabilities.”
“Firhan needs time and focus on his family. His wife needs him. I understand what he is going through and he needs all the support,” added Arul.
The striker played in the 2014 World Cup in The Hague (Holland) and the 2018 World Cup in Bhubaneswar (India). He also has a silver to show from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
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