KBS mulls placing men's hockey team under podium programme

The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will consider the proposal to place the men's hockey team under the Podium Programme.

Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the proposal would be studied by the Podium Programme Evaluation Committee after the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games 2017, which scheduled to be held from Aug 19 to 30.

He said the programme was launched last year and had opened its doors to any national athletes or teams based on their current performance.

The Podium Programme is a long-term initiative planned to ensure national athletes achieve excellence at the world stage including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

"The success in qualifying for the World Cup is a breakthrough under the current management," he told a press conference after attending the International Olympic Day celebrations here on Friday.

Also present was Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar.

Malaysia have booked their berth to the 2018 World Cup Hockey championships after defeating India 3-2 in a quarter-final match at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in London last Thursday.

Entering the semi-finals was enough for the national squad under coach Stephen Van Huizen to appear at the World Cup for the eighth time.

For the record, Malaysia had played in seven World Cups, namely in 1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1998, 2002 and 2014.

In this regard, Khairy urged the women's hockey squad now competing in the Women's Hockey World League (WHWL) Semifinal Round in Brussels, Belgium to repeat the feat of the men's squad.

"I wish them the best to continue maintaining the performance of the men's team," he said.

The national women's squad under Muhammad Dhaarma Raj Abdullah, have not chalked up any wins after losing 0-3 to three-time Olympic champions, Australia on June 21 and a 1-3 loss to Spain in the second group B match early this morning.

-- BERNAMA