Malaysia Not Going To Junior World Cup As Easy Meat - Captain

SEPANG (Selangor, Malaysia), Dec 6 (Bernama) -- Despite their underdog tag, Malaysia will not be appearing at the 2016 Junior World Cup Hockey in Lucknow from Dec 8 to 18 as a filler team. Skipper Mohd Najib Abu Hassan said the tournament is an opportunity for all players to prove their mettle and to bring honours to the country. "Every squad member should take all games seriously and at this level, the mental strength of the team is crucial," he said when met at the KL International Airport (KLIA) here Monday. The national junior squad will start their world cup campaign against Netherlands on Dec 10, against Egypt the next day and completing their group B match against Belgium on Dec 13. Malaysia received an invitation at the last minute after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) officially cancelled the participation of Pakistan from the championships. Meanwhile, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal wanted the squad to keep their heads high and he was sure the players were itching to create upsets in the tournament. --BERNAMA