'SoJC champions, but not perfect': Coach warns national junior hockey squad

KUALA LUMPUR: National junior hockey coach Nor Saiful Zaini has warned his players against complacency despite their Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) triumph at Taman Daya Stadium on Saturday.

Nor Saiful said he was satisfied with the team's overall performance, but stressed that the squad must keep progressing ahead of next year's Junior World Cup.

"However, we should not get too excited. The players need to keep improving and perform better in tournaments," said Nor Saiful.

Malaysia lifted the trophy for only the second time since the tournament's inception in 2011 after edging Pakistan 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in the final.

The team fought back from two goals down to force the shootout.

En route to the final, Malaysia won all four of their round-robin matches, defeating China 3-0, Japan 4-2, Pakistan 3-2 and Canada 6-1.

Despite the title run, penalty corner conversion remains a concern for the coaching staff, with the team converting only nine of the 42 penalty corners awarded.

The squad, who are being groomed for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, featured several standout performers, including goalkeeper Adib Amsyar Hanif, Nabil Irfan Yusof, Dhreeressh Gunaseelan, Adam Asyraf Johari, Gagandeep Singh, Naaveenesh Panicker, Safwan Salihe, and Rahuul Fazrien Nazrien.

The team have departed for Chennai, India, to compete in the Murugappa Gold Cup, which begins on Wednesday.

Malaysia are in Group B alongside the Indian Navy, SAI NCOE-Bhopal, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, and the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.