By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: It will be a not-so-happy Deepavali for hockey forward T. Naaveennash Panicker after he was dropped from the Malaysia team for the Under-21 Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) which begins tomorrow at Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru.
The other player omitted from the 20-player training squad was goalkeeper Danish Afnan Faizal who featured in the Junior World Cup in Bukit Jalil last December.
National junior coach I. Vickneswaran said Naaveennash, 19, and Danish, 21, were excluded based on their performance in training.
"These two will be on standby in case any of the other players get injured."
Midfielder Addy Jazmi Jamlus has been named as skipper. The team are powered by eight players who featured in the Junior World Cup last year.
Vickneswaran did not set any target for the six-nation SoJC, but this has led to critics questioning his faith in the Young Tigers.
Malaysia, who finished seventh out of eight teams in the SoJC last year, will open their campaign against New Zealand tomorrow.
The other teams in the fray are Australia, Great Britain, India and Japan.
Vickneswaran said Disairul Fazrien Nazrien and Yadiy Saifuddin, who were down with flu, and Aqil Danial Mat Ruslee (mouth injury) have recovered.
"We can expect a strong challenge from the Kiwis who will play hard pressing hockey.
"But my players are used to the physical game and knocks which they had in the two friendlies against New Zealand and Britain.
"Although we won both the friendlies (2-1 against New Zealand and 1-0 against Great Britain), it does not show the real strength of the two teams," said Vickneswaran.
Former international Maninderjit Singh said Young Tigers should finish on the podium.
"They are powered by eight Junior World Cup players and they have the experience of playing in the SoJC last year. They have been preparing for the SoJC for six months, went for a six-match playing tour to Australia in August and have home ground advantage."
The Malaysia team:
Goalkeepers: Rafaizul Saini, Khairul Amirin Kamarul Azlan
Defenders: Andywalfian Jeffrynus, Zulhanif Safran, Aqil Danial Mat Ruslee, Disairul Fazrien Nazrien, Nabil Irfan Yusof.
Midfielders: Khairul Norizam, Danish Danial Abdul Wahab, Adam Ashraf Johari, Addy Jazmi Jamlus, Handzalah Abdul Hadi, Aiman Safwan Hisham
Forwards: Danish Aiman Khairil Anuar, Che Nur Aqilrullah Che Khairulzi Anwar, Harris Iskandar Osman, Azimuddin Syakir Kamaruddin, Yadiy Saifuddin.
Fixtures
Tomorrow
India v Japan (4pm), Australia v Great Britain (6.15pm), Malaysia v New Zealand (8.35pm)