11 Fun Facts You Should Know About Hockey In Malaysia
Most of our players have day jobs as policemen, teachers, and more!
Published for Tenaga Nasional Berhad, 30 Nov 2018, 03:14 PM
1. The first formal hockey match played in Malaya was between Harris’ XI and Whitley’s XI on 30 November 1898 in Kuala Lumpur
2. Malaysia's national hockey team is nicknamed 'Speedy Tigers'
And for good reason too. Look at our Malaysian team make that speedy counter-attack with the crafty finish into the opponent's goal.
3. Our men's national hockey team is ranked 12th in the world by the International Hockey Federation
4. Our first time becoming champions for an international tournament was in 2011 when Malaysia beat Australia 3-2 to win the Sultan of Johor Cup
This year, we created history again by defeating India 4-2 to bring home the hockey gold in the Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
5. Hanis Nadiah Onn from our women's national team became the first Malaysian female player to receive the award of Asia’s Most Promising Player from the Asian Hockey Federation in 2016
6. Most of our national hockey players have day jobs as policemen, teachers, and more
7. In fact, half of our current national hockey team are also employees of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)
Over the years, TNB has played an important role in nurturing hockey talents in Malaysia, empowering them to pursue their passion while having a steady day job. The fact that nine out of 18 players from our national men's team is from TNB is a testament to the company's dedication to raising up hockey players of the highest level.
8. The Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) is a top league competition for field hockey clubs in Malaysia, and is sponsored by Tenaga Nasional Berhad
9. Malaysia was the first Asian country to host the Hockey World Cup. We hosted the third edition back in 1975 and that's the year we ranked fourth—our highest achievement thus far.
10. The Speedy Tigers beat our hockey rivals 3-2 last year to qualify for the 2018 Hockey World Cup
Bonus fun fact! Malaysia is in Pool D, alongside successful teams like the Netherlands, Germany, and Pakistan, and will need all our support to do their best. Team Malaysia will have to place third or higher for a chance to advance to the crossover/quarter-final rounds.
11. While hockey may not be the biggest sport in Malaysia, this will be the eighth Hockey World Cup that our Speedy Tigers have competed in
Prior to this Hockey World Cup, we have made 7 of the last 13 Hockey World Cups, which is one of the greatest sports feats of our country thus far!
Our national hockey team will need all the encouragement they can get as they take the main stage at 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup, happening at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India
Head over to HoKita, or "Hoki Kita", a platform that allows you to stay updated with Malaysia's national hockey and share your support with the team
You can also get exclusive content and highlights from HoKita's Facebook Page. Remember to use these hashtags when you show your support on social media: #SpeedyTigers, #HWC2018, #SayaSokongHokiMY, #BersatuUntukHoki.
Make sure you stay updated with our team's progress, and let's keep cheering our Speedy Tigers on
