KUALA LUMPUR: The national junior women's hockey squad will be on an important mission at the Junior Asia Cup (JAC) in Muscat, Oman (Dec 7-15).
Team manager Datuk Saiyuti Samat wants the squad to qualify for the 2025 Junior World Cup (JWC) on merit for the first time.
Ten teams will feature in JAC and only the top-five teams will qualify for JWC, which will be held in Santiago, Chile.
In 2022, the Young Tigress squad competed in the JWC in South Africa as a replacement for Japan who withdrew from the competition.
"These players have talent and can go far. They are aware of their responsibilities and what their mission is," said Saiyuti today.
"We want them to give a strong performance and qualify on merit. National coach Lailin Abu Hassan and his team of coaches have prepared the team well for the tournament.
"Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has faith in the team and we are expecting positive results."
Malaysia has been drawn in Group A with defending champions India, China, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Pool B features South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Lailin is confident in the ability of his squad, which features a mix of young and experienced players.
"We have been drawn with India and China and face tough matches. But we aim to give a good performance and win points. However, against Thailand and Bangladesh I am looking for straight wins," said Lailin.
Malaysia will open against Thailand on Dec 7, followed by matches against India (Dec 9), Bangladesh (Dec 11) and China (Dec 12).