Sarawak hockey squad ready for Sukma quest

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CONFIDENT: Sarawak women’s hockey team receives words of inspiration from Assistant Minister of Sports Datuk Lee Kim Shin at their training ground yesterday.

KUCHING: The Sarawak women’s hockey team is keen to emulate the success of their predecessors at the Sukma XV games in Kuantan.

The state last won the gold at the games in 2006. They were also champions in 2004 and 1996.

“I told the team that they must have the optimism and confidence that they can do it again in Pahang. I hoped the state will not wait any longer for a gold medal in the Sukma women’s hockey event,” Assistant Minister of Sports Datuk Lee Kim Shin told The Borneo Post yesterday during his visit to the team at Sarawak Hockey Stadium.

Lee advised the players not be intimidated by their opponents and reminded them not to be over-confident too.

“I am satisfied and happy with their preparations, and strongly believed that under the guidance of head coach C. Sivasubramaniam, the team is heading in the right direction,” said Lee.

According to state player Ivana Sonia, she knew that her predecessors are in fact living legends of hockey.

She too aims of being talk about in the same breadth as them.

“We trained hard for this. We want to win the gold medal for the state and I think we can’t accept anything less than that. After all, Sarawak women’s team have won the gold medal three times before,” she added.

The state women’s Sukma hockey team currently spar against the senior women’s and men’s teams at the Sarawak Hockey Stadium every weekend.

After a brief chat with the Sarawak Women’s Hockey Association (SHWA) president Datin Mary Saadiah who was also present during his visit yesterday, Lee was also told that the current 21 players attending training will be trimmed to a final 18.

This includes a player who currently studies at Bandar Penawar Sports school in Johor.

With a few experienced players retained from last Sukma, Lee was told that their presence will add more depth to the team.

Meanwhile, Sivasubramaniam revealed that Sarawak is in group B together with the strong teams of Johor, Penang, Melaka and Perak.

He admitted that Sarawak is in the “group of death” but insists that the other states should fear Sarawak as well.