Speedy Tigers bertarung di Sukan Olimpik 2000

Pasukan hoki Malaysia telah layak ke Sukan Olimpik sebanyak sembilan kali dengan penampilan terakhir mereka pada tahun 2000. 

Malaysia bertemu pasukan yang digeruni pada perlawanan pertama Sukan Olimpik Sydney 2000. Pasukan Jerman telah memenangi pingat emas pada 1992 dan menduduki tempat keempat pada edisi 1996. Malaysia berjaya menang 2-1 ketika kali terakhir kedua-dua pasukan bertemu di Piala Sultan Azlan Shah awal tahun itu. Namun, jurulatih negara Stephen Van Huizen mengakui bahawa Jerman merupakan pasukan yang hebat. Pada masa itu, pasukan Jerman di bawah bimbingan Paul Lissek yang pernah melatih pasukan Malaysia bagi Sukan Komanwel 1998, di mana skuad negara meraih pingat perak. 

Malaysia dikatakan tidak bernasib baik setelah Jerman menang tipis 1–0 melalui jaringan penalti. Keputusan tersebut merupakan satu-satunya kekalahan yang dialami Malaysia di peringkat kumpulan. Selepas persembahan itu, pasukan kebangsaan gembira setelah seri tanpa jaringan menentang juara bertahan Belanda. Mereka tentunya berasa yakin apabila menentang Great Britain pada perlawanan seterusnya. 

Walaupun ketinggalan 0–2 pada separuh masa pertama, Malaysia bangkit untuk menjaringkan gol pertama mereka menerusi pemain paling senior, Nor Saiful Zaini, pada minit ke-58. Setelah itu, Keevan Raj, yang mencapai cap ke-100 beliau, berjaya menghasilkan gol kedua melalui pukulan sudut penalti lima minit sebelum perlawanan tamat. 

Seterusnya, Malaysia bertemu Pakistan yang sebelum itu telah mengalahkan Great Britain 8–1. Malangnya bagi pasukan kebangsaan, Malaysia terlepas peluang untuk mara ke peringkat separuh akhir setelah seri 2–2. Dua gol daripada Suhaimi Ibrahim tidak mencukupi apabila Pakistan diberikan pukulan sudut penalti 37 saat dari wisel penamat dan Sohail Abbas tentunya tidak mensia-siakan peluang beliau. 

Perlawanan kumpulan terakhir Malaysia menentang Kanada merekodkan keputusan seri keempat mereka sepanjang kejohanan. Kanada mendahului perlawanan dengan jaringan pada minit ke-26 sebelum Chairil berjaya melandakan gol penyamaan pada minit ke-59. Menduduki tempat kelima dalam kumpulan A, Malaysia sekarang harus berjuang untuk kedudukan ke-9 hingga 12. 

Pada perlawanan “crossover”, Malaysia tewas kepada Sepanyol 0–1 dan terpaksa bermain untuk tempat ke-11 dan ke-12, mengulangi nasib mereka di Sukan Olimpik Atlanta 1996. Mereka tidak terlalu kecewa setelah akhirnya berjaya memenangi satu perlawanan apabila mengalahkan Poland 3–2. Mirnawan Nawawi, pembawa bendera kontinjen Malaysia, menjaringkan gol pertama beliau dalam lima minit pertama perlawanan sebelum Nor Saiful Zaini menjaringkan gol pada minit ke-48. Setelah seri 2–2, satu lagi gol daripada S. Kuhan pada masa tambahan memastikan kemenangan Malaysia. 

Walaupun ia bukan keputusan yang diharapkan, jurulatih Stephen van Huizen tetap berbangga dengan pemain-pemain beliau terutamanya dengan bakat muda yang dibawa masuk untuk pertandingan ini. Beliau percaya bahawa ia hanya permulaan bagi skuad beliau yang baharu. 

Skuad hoki Malaysia: Nasihin Nubli, Maninderjit Singh, Chua Boon Huat, K. Gobinathan, S. Kuhan, Nor Azlan Bakar, Chairil Anwar Aziz, Jiwa Mohan, Keevan Raj, Mirnawan Nawawi, Calvin Fernandez, Roslan Jamaluddin, Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Suhaimi Ibrahim, Nor Saiful Zaini, Shaiful Azli Rahman

(Kredit foto: AllSports dan surat khabar)

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The Malaysian hockey team has qualified for the Olympics nine times with their last appearance being in 2000. 

Malaysia faced a challenging opponent in their first match of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Germany were gold medallists in 1992 and placed fourth in 1996. Despite Malaysia winning 2-1 when they last met at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup earlier that year, national coach Stephen Van Huizen acknowledges that Germany was a strong team. They were under the guidance of Paul Lissek, who coached the Malaysian team to a silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

However, Malaysia stuck to their guns and were deemed unlucky after Germany won 1–0 through a penalty goal. The match was recorded as their only loss in the group stage. The national team were happy with their scoreless draw against defending champions, Holland, and took that confidence to their next match against Great Britain. 

Down 0–2 in the first half, Malaysia made a comeback in the second. The Speedy Tigers landed their first goal of the competition through their most senior player, Nor Saiful Zaini, in the 58th minute. Meanwhile, Keevan Raj, who earned his 100th cap from the match, produced their second goal from a penalty corner five minutes before the end. 

They met Pakistan next, who had previously defeated Great Britain 8–1. It was another unlucky night for Malaysia as they narrowly missed securing a ticket to the semi-finals. Two goals from Suhaimi Ibrahim were not enough as, with 37 seconds remaining, Pakistan were awarded a penalty corner and Sohail Abbas did not waste the opportunity. 

Malaysia’s final group match against Canada marked their fourth consecutive draw of the competition. Canada took the lead with a goal in the 26th minute before Chairil managed to give Malaysia their equaliser in the 59th minute. Finishing fifth in Pool A meant that they were left to fight for 9th-12th placing. 

In their crossover match, Malaysia fell to Spain 0–1 and were left to fight for the 11th and 12th placing, repeating their fate at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. They did not come out of the match disappointed as they finally secured a win at the Games after defeating Poland 3–2. Mirnawan Nawawi, flag bearer for the Malaysia contingent, scored his first goal in the first five minutes of the match before Nor Saiful Zaini scored in the 48th minute. After a 2-2 draw, S. Kuhan managed to give Malaysia their victory during extra time. 

While it was not the outcome they had hoped for, coach Stephen van Huizen remained proud of his players especially with the younger talents that were brought into the fold. He believed it to be only the beginning for the new crop of players.

Malaysian national hockey team: Nasihin Nubli, Maninderjit Singh, Chua Boon Huat, K. Gobinathan, S. Kuhan, Nor Azlan Bakar, Chairil Anwar Aziz, Jiwa Mohan, Keevan Raj, Mirnawan Nawawi, Calvin Fernandez, Roslan Jamaluddin, Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Suhaimi Ibrahim, Nor Saiful Zaini, Shaiful Azli Rahman

(Photo credit: AllSports / newspaper)