TAHUKAH ANDA? Penyerang Pertama Sebagai Kapten 🏑

Pada tahun 1980, Ow Soon Kooi menjadi penyerang pertama yang diberi penghormatan untuk memakai lilitan kapten pasukan hoki kebangsaan Malaysia. Beliau diberi tanggungjawab untuk mengetuai pasukan di Kejohanan Empat Penjuru Antarabangsa yang berlangsung di Kuala Lumpur dan turut disertai India, Pakistan dan Australia.

Walaupun Soon Kooi pernah mengambil alih tugas sebagai kapten di beberapa perlawanan ketika bekas ketua pasukan R. Ramakrishnan mengalami kecederaan, ini merupakan kali pertama beliau menjadi kapten tetap. Namun, Soon Kooi tidak dapat memulakan era beliau mengemudikan pasukan dengan kemenangan. Pasukan negara yang terdiri daripada 12 pemain pasukan belia ketika itu tewas ketiga-tiga perlawanan: 1–3 kepada Australia, 1–5 kepada Pakistan dan 2–3 kepada India.

Sebelum itu, bagi kejohanan-kejohanan besar sejak Sukan Olimpik Melbourne 1956, di mana pemain tengah S. Selvanayagam mengetuai pasukan, kebanyakan kapten Malaysia terdiri daripada pemain tengah atau pertahanan. Pengecualian berlaku di Sukan Olimpik Mexico 1968 di mana penjaga gol Ho Koh Chye diberi amanah.

Siapa lagi penyerang yang pernah menjadi ketua pasukan Speedy Tigers selepas Ow Soon Kooi?

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Did You Know?
The First Striker to Become Captain

In 1980, Ow Soon Kooi became the first striker appointed to wear the captain’s armband for the Malaysian national hockey team. He was given the responsibility of leading the team in the International Quadrangular held in Kuala Lumpur, taking on India, Pakistan and Australia.

Although Soon Kooi had taken over as captain in several matches when former team captain R. Ramakrishnan was injured, this was his first time as captain permanently throughout the tournament. However, Soon Kooi did not start off his era of leading the team with a victory. The national team, which consisted of 12 youth team players, lost all three matches: 1–3 to Australia, 1–5 to Pakistan and 2–3 to India.

Before this in major tournaments since the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games where midfielder S. Selvanayagam led the team, most Malaysian captains were either midfielders or defenders. The exception was at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games where goalkeeper Ho Koh Chye was entrusted to lead the team.

Who were the next strikers to become the Speedy Tigers’ captain after Ow Soon Kooi?