KUCHING: Despite their determined efforts at the Malaysian Games (SUKMA 2024), the Sarawak women’s hockey squad were whacked by a six-goal margin in their Group A match against Pahang.
The first match at the Hockey Stadium in Petra Jaya saw Sarawak making several attempts to break through the Pahang defence. However, by the end of the match, Sarawak went down 0-6.
Head coach Linda Liwek Laing acknowledged the multiple challenges her team faced, particularly in their preparation for the tournament.
“However, I would like to express my gratitude to the Sarawak State Sports Council and Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) for their support, especially the financial assistance,” she said when met by reporters at the Petra Jaya Hockey Stadium today.
“Our athletes hail from various divisions, including Miri, Betong, Bintulu, Kuching, and Serian. To build a strong team, we had to gather them in one place for training,” she added.
Training began in February this year, but Linda noted that the preparation time was both short and challenging.
“In my opinion, the preparation must start at the grassroots level, and training should begin with basic skills first. Hockey development in Sarawak is still at a low level, especially when it comes to mastering the basics,” she lamented.
Linda also urged those involved in hockey development to cooperate and focus on training athletes in basic skills, noting that even elite athletes are still being taught foundational hockey techniques.
“By doing so, they will have acquired advanced skills when they progress to the next level,” she added.
Looking ahead to the team’s next match against Penang, Linda hoped that her players would give their best.
“We’ve had a friendly match against Penang before, so I hope we can secure a win against them,” she said.
Sarawak will face off against Penang tomorrow (Aug 17).
