PHNOM PENH: Former Malaysian hockey coach K. Dharmaraj has received a citizenship offer from Indonesia.
He is currently the technical director of the Indonesian hockey team.
The citizenship offer will enable Dharmaraj to continue his efforts to develop men's and women's hockey in the republic.
Dharmaraj, who also oversees Indonesia's indoor hockey, claimed the offer came before the Sea Games here.
He said he was looking into the offer to become an Indonesian citizen.
"Giving up Malaysian citizenship is something that must be considered very carefully, because if I choose to become an Indonesian citizen, I will have to give up my Malaysian citizenship.
"I have already informed my family about the offer, but my wife and children are not in favour of becoming Indonesian citizens.
"They want to remain as Malaysian citizens because the distance between Malaysia and Indonesia is only a two-hour flight," the 53-year-old told Bernama here.
Dharmaraj moved to Indonesia in 2021, two years after his tenure with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) ended.
He added that he was overwhelmed by the affection shown by the Indonesian hockey family, who welcomed him with open arms after not seeking to renew his contract (with MHC).
Dharmaraj said he had worked tirelessly to repay the trust that the Indonesian Hockey Federation had placed in him to develop the country's hockey as well as to forget the bitterness and the kind of treatment that he had experienced during his 10-year tenure in Malaysia.
"The West Java provincial team was my first foray into Indonesian hockey, and our men's and women's indoor hockey teams won the gold medals in a games similar to the Malaysia Games.
"Currently, half of the Indonesian team is represented by players from the West Java province. I am not trying to brag but the kind of respect shown by the Indonesian hockey family makes me feel like a king.
"They do not look for issues with me. I am given a free hand," he said.
Dharmaraj was appointed as the technical director for the Indonesian national team after serving 10 months as the West Java province technical director for hockey.
Since his appointment, Indonesia's performance has improved drastically. His Indonesian men's indoor team defeated favourites Malaysia to win the Sea Games title here.