KUALA LUMPUR: Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini has issued a stern warning that Malaysian hockey is on the brink of collapse unless its development programmes are urgently revamped.
His concerns come after the Speedy Tigers' humiliating 8-1 drubbing at the hands of India in the Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday, just days after being stunned 4-2 by minnows China.
Saiful didn't mince words when addressing the lack of progress in nurturing young talent, pointing to a development system that has failed to produce the next generation of stars.
"For years, we've relied on veterans like Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, and Faizal Saari. It's embarrassing that we still depend on them when they're in their 30s. Meanwhile, younger players lack even the basic skills," said Saiful.
He lamented that the majority of the current squad are "just making up the numbers," while other nations, like India, have surged ahead, continuously evolving their game.
"India's development programmes are miles ahead of ours. Their players are physically and mentally stronger, and they have a bench of equally talented back-up players.
"They beat us easily without even fielding five of their key players," added Saiful.
In a scathing assessment of Malaysia's junior ranks, Saiful criticised the poor basic skills on display, including ball handling, passing, and defensive play, singling out goalkeepers as particularly weak.
"If we don't overhaul the system now, Malaysian hockey will continue to spiral downwards, and soon, we won't even be able to compete with the lower-ranked teams in Asia."