KUALA LUMPUR: The Perak Razak Cup hockey squad is sending a strong signal cum warning to their opponents who are in the competition that the squad will not settle for anything less than a third consecutive title.
The Perak squad which has retained almost 70 percent of the players who had played in the winning squad last year, will open their campaign against Johor, in the competition that starts tomorrow, and continues till Oct 16.
Head coach S. Jagatheesan said though Perak has won the men’s Razak Cup hockey competition 11 times before, this year’s tournament would offer a new challenge since the squad will be aiming to complete a hattrick of titles after having won in 2020 and 2021.
Perak had also won the cup in 1966, 1973, 1985, 1987, 1992, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018.
“This year we have a different target because although we have won the cup many times before the squad has not won three consecutive titles. Therefore, we feel this year is a perfect time to achieve that feat,” he told reporters here today.
Jagatheesan said with 70 percent of the players retained from last year’s title winning squad, they would be able to assist the newcomers in the squad to rise to the occasion.
“We also want to start on a winning note tomorrow as we face Johor in the first match,“ he said.
In the competition held as a League format, 13 men’s teams and nine women’s teams will be sweating it out for two weeks at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
In the men’s competition, Perak as the defending champion head Group A and will battle against Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Armed Forces, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
Last year’s runner-up Pahang, Melaka, Police, Selangor, Penang, Perlis and invited team Singapore are in Group B.
iIn last year’s edition, Jagatheesan’s charges beat Pahang 2-1 in the final.-Bernama
