Panthers down Titans, Thunder leap to third

Kuala Lumpur Thunder recorded their third successive win after defeating Johor Tigris in the fifth round of the Ekspres Perdana Sepak Takraw League (STL) 2016 at the Serdang Jaya Municipal Council Stadium, today.

Fresh from their 2-0 victory over defending champions ATM Guardians, the Thunders were hoping to emulate their performance in today’s match as it  will ensure they leapfrog Kedah Eagles into third place before the latter’s match tomorrow against league leader’s, Terengganu Turtles.

Thunder’s coach, Azhar Sarabini opted for the trio of Aizat Nor Azmi (tekong), Amirul Zazwan Amir (feeder) and Hafiz Rahman (striker) who came in for Zamree Dahan. Thunder stormed to victory in the first set within 20 minutes with a 21-9 score line.  

In the second set, Tigris trio Haidzir Rashid (tekong), Lutfil Azmi (feeder) and Norhafizi Razak (striker) refused to go down easily thus increasing their momentum to storm home to a 21-15 win, taking the match into the tie-breaker.

After 75 minutes of non-stop action, Thunder went back home smiling after edging Tigris 21-18 to move up into third place of the league while condemning the Southern boys to their 4^th defeat of the season, leaving them lying in fifth place.

Thunder will take on Kedah Eagles next Saturday while Johor Tigris face-off with the in-form Turtles hoping to avoid another defeat to climb up into the top four spot which will advance into the play-off round in mid-December.

In the second match of the day, Penang Black Panthers clashed with Melaka Titans, with hopes of overcoming their defeat at the hands of Turtles, yesterday.

After yesterday’s intense match, Panthers coach, Helmi Ismail opted with Kamal Ishak on the inside right role, replacing Azlan Alias while partnering Syahir Rosdi (tekong) and Suhairi Sulaiman (feeder).

As expected, the Panthers carved out an easy 2-0 win over the Titans trio of Sahidan Ali (tekong), Zarlizan Zakaria (feeder) and Amirul Asyraf Idris (striker), claiming the first set 21-17 before undergoing nervy moments towards the end of the second set to win 22-20.

While the win sees Panthers remain in second place, cutting the gap with league-leaders Turtles to 4 points, Melaka Titans stay bottom place with the STL 2016 approaching mid-season.

Thunder strikes, Panthers shot down

Armed Forces (ATM) Guardians hope of turning their luck around in this edition of the Ekspres Perdana Sepak Takraw League (STL) suffered a setback when they lost to Kuala Lumpur Thunder in their 5^th round match at the Serdang Jaya Municipal Council Stadium.

After a run of successive defeats early in the season, Guardians registered victories over Penang Black Panthers and Kedah Eagles in their last two matches spurring hopes of a revival for their season.

However, it took only about 40 minutes for Thunder to take home the victory with a 2-0 win, punishing the defending champions to their fifth defeat of the season.

Guardians’ trio Nazmi Najib (tekong), Nazuha Nadzli (feeder) and Afiffudin Razali (striker) were unable to stage a comeback after going down 21-19 in the first set to the Thunder’s trio of Aizat Nor Azmi (tekong), Amirul Zazwan Amir (feeder) and Zamree Dahan (striker).

In the second set, Guardians began the match much brighter only to fade off later allowing Thunder to take advantage and go on to claim a 21-16 victory.

After today’s match, Thunder’s now occupy third spot before looking to build on today’s win when they face Johor Tigris on Sunday while Guardians will face 7^th place Kelantan Warriors.

The second match of the day saw Terengganu Turtles fresh from securing a season-long deal with Spritzer as their team sponsor, extended their lead at the top of the table to six points after claiming a hard-fought 2-1 win in their match against Penang Black Panthers.

Terengganu Turtle’s, Fadzli Roslan (striker) who have been impressive throughout the season so far had a change of luck coming into this match when he was yellow-carded in the first set for time-wasting before limping off injured after landing awkwardly trying to block the ball.

Kamal Alfiza Shafie stepped-in for the injured Fadzli and had nervy moments throughout as it was his first match of the season before helping his teammates Zulkifli Razak (tekong) and Azwan Muhrim (feeder) to a victory.

About 2000 fans thronged the Serdang Jaya Municipal Council Stadium to witness this mouth-watering tie as they went back home pleased after both sides put up an entertaining performance to woo the crowd.

Panther’s trio Syahir Rosdi (tekong), Suhairi Sulaiman (feeder) and Azlan Alias were outclassed by the Turtles in the first set, losing 21-16 before staging a comeback in the second set to claim a 21-14 win.

The tie-breaker saw both teams increase their intensity and momentum with Panthers in control for most part of the set before Turtles caught up to steal a 21-19 victory preventing Panthers from staging an upset over the league leaders.

Turtles win today will definitely be a huge morale booster heading into tomorrow’s match against third place Kedah Eagles while second place Panthers will hope to overcome today’s defeat when they entertain bottom of the table Melaka Titans on Sunday.

Thunderbolts Cup - bigger and brighter next year

Not surprisingly, the inaugural TNB Thunderbolts Cup held at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Hockey Stadium in Johor recently received the thumbs up from the eight competing teams.

The four-day tournament from which Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) emerged champions is the brainchild of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s largest electricity utility, which set a high bench mark thus creating a pool of talented hockey players in the country through its Thunderbolts Development programme.

Bandar Penawar-based SSTMI, SMK Anderson Ipoh, Pahang Sports School and BJSS come under the purview of the Thunderbolts Programme while Singapore Development Team, SMK Datuk Bentara Luar Batu Pahat (Johor Sports School), Sabah Sports School Malaysia and Selangor joined the fray as invitees.

BJSS thrashed Sabah Sports School Malaysia 7-1 in the final. This was the second trophy BJSS has safely stashed in its closet this year after claiming the TNBMJHL Cup.

However, the inaugural Thunderbolts Cup only served as an appetiser as there are plans to pump the tournament with a bigger dosage of excitement next year as foreign teams will be invited which is in line with TNB’s motto of powering the nation to a whole new level.

"We will try very hard to get teams from Korea, Japan, Singapore and even India to agree to play in next year's edition. This will give our players the opportunity to play against stronger opponents at this age-group level,” said TNB Thunderbolts Programme chief coordinator, Nur Saiful Zaini.

"We have seen good hockey from all the teams including Singapore in the four days of competition. Teams like Pahang Sports School, Singapore, Sabah and even Anderson did not do well in their respective opening matches but there was all round improvement as the tournament progressed.

"Their level of confidence also grew when up against tougher teams like SSTMI and BJSS. Sabah even beat SSTMI in their semi-final match which shows how they came back mentally prepared to take on the challenges,” added Nur Saiful, who is also the head coach of the TNB Thunderbolts team in the TNBMHL Division 1.

Singapore’s national team head coach, K. Rajan, has vowed to arrange more matches for the juniors and development teams against Malaysian sides to gain experience so the Thunderbolts Cup was a perfect start.

"There are not many competitions in Singapore for the juniors to gain experience so we would like to thank the TNB Thunderbolts management for inviting us to compete here. It was a valuable learning experience for the players and we hope to be back again for this tournament,” said Rajan, a former Malaysian national team player.

BJSS may have ended up as champions but rest assured that SSTMI and the other teams will be out to turn the tables next year on SSTMI's blue-pitch. 

The Thunderbolts Cup was held in conjunction with the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) which featured Pakistan, England, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Malaysian Under-21 teams.

"All Thunderbolts Cup matches were completed by 4.00pm so that players from the eight teams could travel to watch the SOJC matches later the same evening. It was also an added learning experience,” said Nur Saiful.

Roll of Honour:

Champion: Bukit Jalil Sports School

Runner-up: Sabah Sports School Malaysia

Third: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School
Fourth: Datuk Bentara Luar Batu Pahat (Johor Sports School)

Guardians Shocked High-Flying Eagles, Turtles Extend Unbeaten Streak

Armed Forces (ATM) Guardians once again produced a giant-killing performance, this time taking down the high-flying Kedah Eagles 2-0 at the Serdang Jaya Municipal Council earlier today.

The Eagles made one change to their lineup with Ali Alhamidi Ayob starting in the striker position as he missed yesterday’s win against Melaka Titans.

Guardians, whose only victory so far is against pre-tournament favourites, Penang Black Panthers, started brightly after Nazmi Najib, Nazuha Nadzli and Afifudin Razali beat Nazirul Akram Razali, Zuleffendi Sumari and Ali Alhamidi Ayob 21-15 in the first set.

Afifudin was dangerous in his net plays as he utilized his height perfectly in executing blocks and spikes. Just like yesterday’s match against Melaka Titans, the Eagles introduced tekong, Asrah Adenan while also switching Alhamidi with Shahrol Nizam Romli at the start of the second set in hopes of tying the game.

But it was Afifudin and gang once again proving too strong for the fatigued Eagles as the defending champions went on to secure the game in the second set. Eagles’ Asrah was guilty of some poor services which led to a 11-21 trashing.

“This is the first time we play back-to-back matches. I think my boys are still recovering from yesterday’s grueling match (with Melaka Titans). We will have to adjust to the schedule as this won’t be the only time we play back-to-back matches,” said Kedah Eagles’ head coach, Shamsul Samsudin. 

The win lifted the Guardians off the bottom of the standings, a position in which they occupied for some time now.

In the later match, Terengganu Turtles extended their unbeaten streak to six matches as they saw off Kelantan Warriors 2-0 in an east coast derby match-up.

With injuries plaguing the Turtles side, they only had four players at their disposal for the match while the Kelantan side made two changes to their lineup with feeder, Ashraf Mamat and striker, Nur Yuslie Jusoh drafted in as they look to bounce back from yesterday’s tame defeat to Johor Tigris. 

Despite their injury setbacks, Terengganu Turtles started the brighter team as their trio – Irsyad Faiz Aziz, Azwan Muhrim and Fadzli Roslan performed tremendously as a team to defeat their Warriors opponents, Khairul Hisham Yusoff, Ashraf Mamat and Nur Yuslie Jusoh 21-13 in the first set.

Even with the introduction of their key man Aidil Aiman Azwawi, the Warriors could not salvage the second set as they go down 10-21 to the Turtles and suffer back-to-back losses. The win further solidifies the Turtles’ spot at the top after matchweek 4.  

Eagles Continues to Soar as Tigris edged Warriors

Kedah Eagles extended their winning streak to three matches as they beat Melaka Titans 2-1 in a tightly contested tie during their Ekspres Perdana SepakTakraw (STL) 2016 match at the Serdang Jaya Municipal Council earlier today.

The Titans’ trio of Sahidan Ali, Zarlizan Zakaria and Awan Yahya started off brightly after dispatching the Eagles’ Nazirul Akram Razali, Zuleffendi Sumari and Shahrol Nizam Romli 21-14 in the first set.

However, sloppy plays by the Titans in the second set led the Eagles back into the match as they took advantage and made their opponents pay for their mistakes, winning the match 21-15.

The introduction of backup tekong, Khobil Sapair did not help Titans’ cause as he contributed to his team’s mistakes on numerous occasions with poor services.

The Eagles made a substitution of their own in the tekong position as the introduction of Asrah Adenan in place of Nazirul Akram Razali contributed to Kedah’s second set revival.

Kedah Eagles completed the turnaround as they breezed past the Melaka side 21-14 in the rubber set. The Eagles’ win see them leapfrog Penang Black Panthers into second place having played two matches more than the Penangites.

Meanwhile, Johor Tigris bounced back from their defeat before the two weeks break to beat Kelantan Warriors 2-1.

The team from the south took the lead after Haidzir Rashid, Saifulrudin Khalid and Norhafizi Razak beat the Warriors’ Khairul Hisham Yusoff, Aidil Aiman Azwawi and Naim Izani Noor 21-16 in the first set.

Kelantan freshened their line-up heading into the second set as they switched their starting tekong Khairul with backup Hisyam Mat. The change proved vital as Hisyam played a key role in the Warriors’ 21-17 second set win.

Despite having the backing of the home fans, Kelantan Warriors could not maintain their momentum as they fall 19-21 in the final set. The result further strengthens Johor’s position in fourth while Kelantan remains in fifth.

Thunderbolts Cup in search of talents

After witnessing some breathtaking moments by Malaysia Tigers in the QNET 4^th Asian Champions Trophy  in Kuantan, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has fast-tracked its development programme in grooming the next generation of hockey players.

The Malaysians won bronze for the fourth time since the inception of the ACT in Ordos, China, in 2011. The ACT2016 team featured a number of Thunderbolt graduates namely Sharil Saabah, Firhan Ashari and the Saari brothers - Faizal and Fitri. These players came through the Thunderbolt Programme and are now regulars in the national senior squad.

The TNB Malaysian Junior Hockey League (TNBMJHL) has been a booming stage for young hockey talents in displaying their talents and gaining invaluable experience.

As a preparation for the 2017 TNBMJHL, an inaugural Thunderbolt Cup will be held comprising of the four Thunderbolt teams along with four other invited teams.

Participants of the 1st Thunderbolts Cup will include Sabah Sports School, Terengganu Sports School, the Selangor State team and the Singapore Juniors; which are all viable sparring teams for the TNB sponsored  teams.

This tournament will basically be a smaller scaled MJHL as the format and rules will be based on the actual tournament which the four Thunderbolt teams topped in the last edition.

In conjunction with the 2016 Sultan of Johor Cup, the first edition of the Thunderbolts Cup will be held at Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI), Johor from the 3^rd - 6^th November 2016.

The main objective and idea for this four-day invitational tournament is to serve as early preparation for TNB’s development teams and identify new talents for upcoming tournaments.

Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) Thunderbolt coach, Lokman Yahaya, who approves of the Thunderbolts Cup, observed: “We will be using this inaugural tournament to test out and identify some players for the upcoming TNBMJHL.

“Since most of our players are busy during this period of time with school exams, we could not plan extensive preparations and trainings for this tournament. We will be using this tournament mainly to regain match fitness as well as trying out some new tactics in bid to defend our junior title,” added Lokman.

SSTMI’s coach, Wan Roslan Wan Abdul Rahman, also echoed the approval of the Thunderbolts Cup.

“The Hockey development scene has become a very competitive market today and we expect the next TNBMJHL to be more challenging compared to previous editions. A tournament such as the Thunderbolts Cup is a perfect preparation to identify the needful additions or changes for the team.

“Our main objective for this tournament is to continue working with the players we have and continue nurturing them for bigger challenges in the future. We also look to continue working and learning with TNB’s Thunderbolt programme towards securing a brighter hockey future for our country,” he explained.

Teams competing in the inaugural Thunderbolts Cup will be given additional hockey theory classes, video analysis sessions and talks regarding modern hockey techniques.