News

30-05 BPSS coach expect a bruiser against UniKL

2010-05-30 22:05:00

Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS)-Thunderbolt intend to keep the MHF-Milo-NSC Junior Hockey League overall title within the sports school fraternity but they know that Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) will be out to stop them at all costs in the final today.

The BPSS-Thunderbolt team will also be looking to complete a remarkable double, having won the Division One title earlier.

The last time the BPSS-Thunderbolt and UniKL met in the league, they drew 2-2.

So the final, to be held at the Tun Razak Stadium, promises to be an exciting affair indeed.

And BPSS-Thunderbolt had better not underestimate UniKL, who dumped defending champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) in the semi-finals on Friday.

UniKL’s feat is magnificent indeed as BJSS have been the dominant force in the last seven years, winning the league seven consecutive times and the double five times.

BPSS-Thunderbolt coach Wan Roslan Wan Abdul Rahman said yesterday that they had a good chance of winning the double as they had shown consistency throughout the league campaign.

“After playing second fiddle to BJSS last year, my players are determined to win the double. The league title we won earlier is the first national title for the school. And to cap it with a double will make up for all the hard work we have put in all these years,” he said. “I do not expect it to be easy against UniKL. But we have players who have the experience and also the ability to get the goals. I believe we are more than a match for UniKL.”

UniKL conceded that the BPSS team, who have merged with Tenaga Nasional, were the clear favourites for the title.

UniKL coach I. Vickneswaren said yesterday that BPSS had the advantage of having played together for the last six years and “their merger with Tenaga has given them the chance to get some expert help from the likes of Nor Saiful Zaini, Lailin Abu Hassan and Nor Azlan Bakar.

“We were formed just a month before the league started. They also have a national forward in their line-up (Faisal Saari) and several current and future national juniors,” he said. “I also believe that their penalty corner battery is the best in the league and that will take some stopping.”

Vickneswaren is also playing down his team’s chances as he will have two regulars out for the final.

“Defender Arief Iskandar is suspended after receiving a yellow card in the semi-final. Nor Hissat Sumantri is down with flu. So, we won’t have our full side for the final,” he said.

“But we plan to go all out and upset them. I believe that we can play good hockey and my players are also determined to win.

“I think it will be an exciting final and it will be close.”

Whoever wins, there is no doubt that the two finalists have been like a breath of fresh air to the junior league.

The Star