Conversion Rate Too Low, Says Prakash

KUALA LUMPUR: Former champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) coach S. Prakash is concerned over his team’s poor penalty corner conversion rate in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

The five-time double champions drew blanks in six attempts in their opening two Division One matches last week – against Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Ipoh City Hall Juniors.

Prakash, who has been coaching the BJSS team since 2001, said that it was a big disappointment, considering that they have the top two junior penalty corner flickers in G. Kavin Kartik and Dangerous Lee.

“Penalty corners play an important part in winning matches but we are struggling in the execution of the set-pieces,” he said.

“Kavin and Dangerous perform well in training but they have failed to get it right in the league matches thus far.”

BJSS are in second place in the 10-team standings on full points from the victories over MBPJ (2-1) and Ipoh City Hall Juniors (2-0).

Their next match is against BJSS Juniors at the Education Ministry Turf today.

Prakash hopes that Kavin, who was in the national team for the 2009 Junior World Cup Finals in Johor Baru, would be able to score his first penalty corner goal of the season against BJSS Juniors.

“We are playing against our own junior team but it will not be easy if the conditions are hot and humid,” he said.

“We struggled to beat the Ipoh City Hall Junior team in the blistering heat on Sunday. I hope the weather will be favourable tomorrow.”

Prakash added that two key players - midfielder Mohd Azrul Hasbullah and forward C. Ahrujunan - would remain out of the team for the matches this weekend.

“Azrul is down with a knee injury while Ahrujunan has a hairline fracture on his left index finger,” he said.
“Both players have been out since league started and they are only expected to resume training next week.”
Prakash said that their toughest match this weekend would be against defending league champions Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS)-Thunderbolt on Saturday.

“We lost to them (1-2) last year. And the challenge will be on us to get the better of them,” he said.

BJSS Look To Maintain Winning Run

BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) are aiming to continue their good form in Division One of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League when they face their junior team at the Ministry of Education pitch today.

The in-form side have started on a promising note in the league by earning maximum points through victories over Petaling Jaya City Council (2-1) and Ipoh Juniors (2-0).

In fact, BJSS are expected to steamroll today's opponents, who have neither earned a point nor scored a goal in the competition.

BJSS, who are mostly represented by national junior players, are determined to regain their supremacy after failing to make an impact last year.
They have bagged 12 titles since 2003 but they finished third in Division One behind champions Bandar Penawar Sports School and runners-up Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) last year.


TODAY -- Division One: BJSS Juniors v BJSS (Ministry of Education Stadium, 4.30pm);

TOMORROW -- Division One: Petaling Jaya CC v UniKL (Tun Razak Stadium, 4.30pm), Ipoh Juniors v Kelantan (Azlan Shah Stadium, 4.30pm).

Division Two (Group A): Datuk Taha v Politeknik KPT (Tampin Pitch, 4.30pm).

BJSS Labour Through

BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) were far from impressive but still beat Ipoh Juniors 2-0 in a MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League Division One match at the Ministry of Education Stadium yesterday.
The match was scrappy, and Ipoh were equally guilty for not utilising their midfield, relying heavily on overhead balls.

"Not good, but still better than our opening match against Petaling Jaya (City Council which BJSS won 2-1) as my boys kept up the pace even though the match was played in scorching heat," said BJSS coach S. Prakash.

Ipoh Juniors’ Muhammad Firdaus Sidik (right) and BJSS’ Mohd Khairul Naim Johari clash for the ball in their match at the Ministry of Education Stadium yesterday. BJSS won 2-0. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail.

Prakash felt that playing at 4.30pm is a bad idea and will make a request to the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to play at a later time.

"The weather was fine last week but just when the JHL started it turned hot in the evenings, so playing at 4.30pm is not a good idea.

"I will make a request to MHF and hopefully, they will amend the fixtures," said Prakash.
Almost all JHL matches have been slated to start at 4.30pm because the lighting system at some of the stadiums are not up to mark.

The BJSS goals were scored by Ahmed Iqwan (fifth) and Haziq Samsul (49th).

In another Division One match, Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) hammered Petaling Jaya CC 5-1 at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru.

The BPSS goals were scored by hat-trick hero Firhan Ashaari (21st, 40th, 51st), Shahrusahadan Basri (12th) and Shahril Saabah (50th).

The PJCC scorer was Fata Mutalib (25th).

In a another Division One match at the Terengganu pitch, Kelantan held Anderson 3-3.

Kelantan scored through Cik Rosmadi Rasol (sixth), Hanif Ropi (37th) and Faiz Haiqal (50th), while the Anderson scorers were Ashran Hamsani (eighth), Husaini Husin (13th) and Ashran Hamsani (64th).

RESULTS -- Division One: BPSS 5 Petaling Jaya CC 1, BJSS 2 Ipoh Juniors 0, UniKL 6 BJSS Juniors 0, Kelantan 3 Anderson 3, Pahang 1 BPSS Juniors 3.

Division Two -- Group A: Matri 0 Datuk Taha 1; Group B: Olak-PKT 1 Perlis 1.


Read more: BJSS labour through http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/iiprk_r-2/Article#ixzz1HrKJwrbq

BPSS Score Another Big Win As BJSS Slog To Beat Heat & Opponents

KUALA LUMPUR: Defending league champions Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS)-Thunderbolt and their rival counterparts in Bukit Jalil (BJSS) secured their second win in Division One of the Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in contrasting fashion to head the standing after the first week of action.

BPSS-Thunderbolt walked off easy 5-1 winners over Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru.

BJSS, on the other hand, had to overcome humid conditions at the Education Ministry Turf in Jalan Pantai here to beat Ipoh City Council 2-0.

 Clash: Ipoh City Council’s Mohd Faris Abdullah (right) colliding with BJSS’ Faridzul Afiq Mohamad during their Junior Hockey League match at Pantai Stadium yesterday. — By S.S.KANESAN/ The Star

And BPSS Juniors also kept up the good run of the national school teams with a 3-1 win over MSS Pahang at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium.

It was BPSS-Thunderbolt’s second big win after a 4-0 victory over BJSS Juniors.

Mohamed Firhan Ashaari, who was recently called up to the senior national team, scored a hat-trick – in the 21st, 40th and 51st minutes of the match.

The other scorers for BPSS-Thunderbolt were Shahrusahadan Basri (12th) and Mohamed Shahril Saabah (50th).
Ibnu Fata Illah scored the goal for MBPJ in the 25th minute. It was the second defeat for the PJ side, who lost 1-2 to BJSS on Friday.

A goal in each half earned BJSS full point against Ipoh City Council in a match that began at 4.30pm and played under sweltering heat.

Ahmad Iqwan Shah capitalised on a defensive error to score from close range in the fifth minute and Mohamed Haziq Shamsul added the second goal in the 49th minute.

“I think we need to change the way we played if the conditions remain the same next weekend,” said BJSS coach S. Prakash.

“It was really very hot out there and the players were greatly affected. We just cannot play a fast and open game under such conditions. Against a much fitter side, we may pay the price.

“It is good to have come off with the points today and we must look at the coming matches and plan accordingly.”

BPSS Juniors again returned from a fruitful trip, chalking up their second successive win in as many days.
They had beaten MSS Kelantan 4-1 on Saturday in Kuala Terengganu and they downed MSS Pahang at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium yesterday with goals by Luqman Nul Hakim (8th), Zulaniq Adib (10th) and Mohamed Afzanizam Zakaria (58th).

The scorer for the Pahang side was Mohamed Faried Satar in the 42nd minute.

HOCKEY: BOLLYWOOD ACT FOR UniKL

FAVOURITES UniKL acted to a Bollywood movie script when they took a punch before beating a gritty Ipoh Juniors 3-2 in the curtain raiser of the MHF-NSC-Milo Junior Hockey League at the Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday.

PJCC’s Ibnu Fatta Illah (in black) goes past three BJSS defenders in their Division 1 match at the Ministry of Education pitch yesterday. — Picture by Osman Adnan

Virtually parading their Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) side, UniKL were shocked in the ninth minute when Rasyid Hazar scored off a penalty corner attempt..

However, the early setback was overcame with efforts from Zulhairi Hashim (19th, 31st) and Nor Aqmal Ghaffer (43rd). The other Ipoh goal was scored by Azrul Fazrin in the 62nd minute.

"We expected Ipoh to defend in the early stages, but they shocked my players by playing an attacking game and scoring the first goal instead.
"I salute their grit, and the match turned difficult after that as my players struggled to settle down, but the end result was in favour of us," said UniKL manager Amir Azhar.

Bukit Jalil Sports School, whose players also just completed the MHL fixtures, were a disappointing lot when they let in a goal, before edging Petaling Jaya City Council 2-1 at the Ministry of Education pitch.

PJCC took the lead through Syamil Zulkifli off a ninth minute penalty corner, but BJSS sealed the three points with goals from Faridzul Afiq (12th) and Haziq Samsul (20th).

"I am shocked with the level of play today (yesterday) as we missed many sitters and were on the receiving end for no reason.

"We had practised many set-pieces but my players just failed to execute them, so instead of winning comfortably, we started our campaign on a shaky note," said BJSS coach S. Prakash whose players will meet Ipoh Juniors tomorrow.

In Division Two, Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak-PKT) also took the lead via Hakim Azarha's field attempt in the 27th minute, but shared points on a 1-1 score when Luqman Hakim scored for Padang Midin in the 43rd minute.


Read more: Hockey: Bollywood act for UniKL http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/46hookee/Article/index_html#ixzz1HrNnSfPj

BANDAR PENAWAR, UniKL GRAB FULL POINTS IN OPENING MATCH

KUALA LUMPUR: Defending league champions Bandar Penawar SS-Thunderbolt began their Division One campaign in the Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL) with a 4-0 win over Bukit Jalil SS Junior at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru yesterday.

Mohamed Fitri Saari opened the scoring in the 24th minute through a field attempt while Shahzril Irwan Nazli followed it up with another field goal in the 30th minute to give them a 2-0 first half lead.

In the second half Mohamed Shahril Saabah and Mohamed Dzahiruddin made sure of full points with goals in the 50th and 59th minutes respectively.

Last year’s overall champions Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) overcame a one-goal deficit to defeat Ipoh City Council Juniors 3-2 at the Sultan Azlan Shah to get off to a winning start as well.

Shortlived joy: MBPJ’s Ibnu Fata Illah scoring against BJSS during their MJHL match in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. BJSS however won the match 2-1. — By RICKY LAI / The Star


Ipoh CC took the lead in the ninth minute when Mohamed Rasyid Hazer scored from a penalty corner.

But 10 minutes later UniKL’s Mohamed Zulhairi Hashim netted from a penalty corner to draw level.

Zulhairi then added his scored goal in the 31st minute to give UniKL the lead with another penalty corner.

Mohamed Nor Akmal scored the third goal in the 43rd minute but that only served to see the Ipoh side staging a fightback.

Ipoh CC reduced the deficit in the 61st minute through Mohamed Azrul Fazrin from a field attempt but the champions held on to take full points.

Former double champions Bukit jalil Sports School (BJSS) were lucky to have got off to a winning start against Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) at the Education Ministry Turf here. They won 2-1.

It was the early goals that decided the match as both teams wilted under the hot conditions as the match that was played at 4.30pm.

MBPJ took the lead in the ninth minute with Ibnu Fata Illah scoring from a field attempt.

Three minutes later BJSS drew level with a Faridzul Mohamed goal. Then in the 20th minute Mohamed Haziq Shamsul scored the winning goal from another field attempt to seal the three points.

BJSS coach S. Prakash said after the match that they were slow off the blocks and failed to settle down properly.

“It is always the same with my team as they are slow starters. They did not perform to their true potential and in the second half the players were affected by the afternoon heat,” he said.

But Prakash pointed out that his players should have won comfortably as they have a good set of players.

“But it was important to get full points from the match. The players will need to buck up and yesterday there was too much of individual play as the players tried to do things on their own.

“Still we hope the good start will see them trying harder in the next match to take full points as well,” said Prakash.