Hockey: BJSS Bounce Back

By Jugjet Singh
jugjet@nst.com.my

BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) made a remarkable recovery to whip Bandar Penawar Sports School 4-1 in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.

Both the sports schools had played on Friday when BJSS were beaten 2-0 by BPSS in Kuala Lumpur but the return match in Bandar Penawar yesterday was the exact opposite.

And with league leaders Armed Forces Juniors dropping two points against Ipoh City Hall in a 0-0 encounter, BJSS and BPSS have better chances of playing catch-up in the return leg matches.

Faridzul Afiq scored in the first minute to rattle BPSS yesterday before Dangerous Lee made it 2-0 with a 28th minute penalty corner attempt.

Shahril Saabah injected some hope into BPSS' game when he narrowed the gap with a 32nd minute field goal, but Dangerous made it 3-1 in the 37th minute before Farid Zuki scored in the 59th minute to give BJSS a comfortable win.

BJSS coach S. Prakash, who had benched five of his players for disciplinary reasons, attributed the win to mental strength.
"The suspended players were fielded on Friday but we still lost 2-0 to BJSS because my players gave them too much respect," said Prakash.

"I have been motivating the boys since, and today (yesterday) they played to their true potential. Their mental strength won them the match," said BPSS coach Wan Roslan Rahman who was amazed with his rivals' transformation.

RESULTS -- Division One: Armed Forces Juniors 0 Ipoh CH 0, Bandar Penawar Sports 1 Bukit Jalil Sports School 4, Malacca CC 2 UniTen 1.

FIXTURES -- Premier Division -- Friday (All Matches at the Kuantan Stadium): Tenaga Nasional v Sapura (3.30pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v UniKL (5.51pm), Yayasan Negri Sembilan v Nur Insafi (7pm), Armed Forces-Airod v UiTM (8.45pm).

Saturday: Maybank v UniKL (3pm), Tenaga Nasional v Nur Insafi (4.45pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v UiTM (6.30pm), Yayasan Negri Sembilan v Armed Forces-Airod (8.15pm).

Division One -- Sunday: Ipoh City Council v Bukit Jalil Sports School (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5pm), Bandar Penawar Sports School v Malacca CC (Bandar Penawar, 5pm), Armed Forces Juniors v Universiti Sains Malaysia (Tun Razak Stadium, 5pm).