JOHOR BAHRU, 16 Oct – Newly elected Johor Hockey Association (JHA) President, Dato Manjit Majid Abdullah has started cracking the whip to reshape the sport in the state and make Johor a hockey powerhouse in the country.
Manjit revealed that it is a five-year program during which time Johor hopes to regain its status as a hockey giant in the country although the southern state has won the Razak Cup only three times.
Johor, however, has done well in the national age-group tournaments and has produced national hockey big names like Olympians Sarjit Singh, Yahya Atan, Nasihin Nubli, to name a few.
A. Arulselvaraj and Nasihin are currently the national chief coach for men and women with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation.
Several others who coached the national teams were Balbir Singh, A. Harbhajan Singh, the late Puran Singh and the late Malek Khiew.
Puran was also an international rugby referee.
For a start, Johor will bring its once famous inter district tournament which was the hunting ground to tap young talent.
It is a tournament which will also be played on grass pitches as not all districts have artificial pitches but Manjit is confident that it will not be a hindrance to revive the tournament that used to bring out keen “hockey rivalry” between the districts.
Manjit also revealed that the state will organize an annual quadrangular in memory of former JHA President, Dato Suleiman Mohd. Noor who passed away in August 2017 at the age of 88.
”We will make it an annual affair and invite three state teams for the quadrangular. In the past, there used to be popular quadrangular tournaments in the country but somehow all disappeared from the Malaysian hockey scene.
”The Dato Suleiman Mohd. Noor quadrangular will get due recognition and Johor will make sure it becomes a much looked forward tournament annually,” said Manjit.
The former state secretary is also known as the ”Father of Johor Football” and credited for the Johor’s rise in Malaysian football.
Johor Darul Takzim’s indoor training center – The Dato Suleiman Mohd. Noor Indoor Training Center in Seri Gelam, Johor Bahru – is named after him for his contributions to the sport in Johor.
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