SASC: SPEEDY TIGERS OPTIMISTIC, KIWIS AND BELGIUM REMAIN CAUTIOUS OF ASIAN TEAMS

IPOH, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The Speedy Tigers squad are optimistic about delivering an excellent performance in the 31st edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (SASC) at the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium here, which will commence tomorrow until Nov 30.

Team captain, Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil, said the team's preparation is at a very satisfactory level, with training and game planning aspects running smoothly.

According to him, the team now possesses a strong and solid mix of players, which boosts their confidence heading into the tournament.

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"For me, the team's preparation is very good right now, in terms of training and game planning; moreover, we have a truly strong team.

"With the current strength and teamwork, I am confident that we will be more prepared and will deliver our best performance, besides striving to achieve a good position in this tournament," he said at a press conference here today.

He also expressed confidence that the Malaysian team will play well, especially when facing stronger teams, in addition to strengthening the team for long-term preparation.

For Black Sticks Captain, Sam Lane, their main focus in the tournament is not solely to chase the title, but rather to ensure the internal development of the team is at its best ahead of the upcoming competitive season.

He stated that the experience of playing in the Nations Cup 2025 in Malaysia last June provided a comprehensive overview of the playing style of Asian teams, thus helping them devise more solid preparations for this prestigious tournament.

"This year we've had a good time in Malaysia for the Nations Cup and I think that gave us a really good indication of how we play the Asian teams.

"And I think now, as of now, it's a huge variety of teams and that's where we need to improve on our own development," he said.

Meanwhile, Belgium Captain Arthur Van Doren said the world number three team is making internal team development their main agenda, despite realising the significant challenges awaiting them in this edition of the tournament.

He said clashes with non-European teams always provide a different dimension because every opponent comes with unexpected identity and tactics.

"We often play European teams, they're very structured, and the beautiful thing about coming here to Asia, which we love, and also playing Asian teams, Malaysia, India, Korea, Japan and even also New Zealand and Canada.

"They bring something different, something we don't expect and that's always a good challenge and challenges make you become better as a player," he said.

Arthur said that although Belgium is the highest-ranked team in this edition, they are still taking a cautious approach when facing every opponent, including teams they have rarely met recently.

Malaysia will open the tournament against New Zealand on tomorrow (Sunday), followed by Canada (Nov 24), India (Nov 26), Belgium (Nov 27), and South Korea (Nov 29).

Only the top two teams in the tournament, which is conducted in a round-robin league format, will compete in the final match on Nov 30.

-- BERNAMA