Malaysian Hockey Confederation ends Sarjit Singh’s contract, appoints Brendon Carolan as new Speedy Tigers coach ahead of 2026 World Cup.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has confirmed it will not extend the contract of national men’s hockey head coach Sarjit Singh (pic).
MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said the decision was made following an Executive Committee meeting, which also agreed to appoint Brendon Carolan as the new head coach effective April 1.
Subahan stressed that the end of Sarjit’s contract was not a dismissal, but part of a restructuring of the coaching setup aimed at achieving better results for the Speedy Tigers.
“Sarjit’s contract will not be extended for the preparation period leading to the 2026 World Cup, but we deeply appreciate his contributions and sacrifices since March 2024, including guiding the team to qualify for the tournament,” he said.
He added that the decision aligns with the federation’s new direction, which places greater emphasis on enhancing the team’s tactical capabilities.
“We want to focus on improving the team’s tactical skills and believe that Brendon has the capability to help elevate the national squad to a higher level,” Subahan said.
Elaborating further, Subahan said one of the key performance indicators set for Carolan is to ensure the national team reach at least the final at the Asian Games this October.
Carolan, who hails from South Africa and is based in Dublin, previously served as an assistant coach with the national team.
He also has experience as interim coach of the Irish team and has worked as a hockey consultant for Gantoise club.
Carolan will guide the national squad in the Nations Cup in South Africa this June before leading them at the 2026 World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Speedy Tigers will then compete in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan next October.