THE national men and women indoor hockey squads had their first taste of action at MITEC Hall, venue for the indoor hockey competition which gets underway on August 21.

A series of test matches against the Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS) were planned with the first match held on Monday (August 7) at Hall 4, MITEC.  Six countries are down to compete in the men’s competition while the women’s action will see the participation of five teams.  

The men’s national team, currently the highest-ranked team in South East Asia, stamped their mark with a 7-3 win over the Australian club side.

There were some concerns over the condition and surface of the pitch but national coach Amin Rahim was unperturbed, expressing confidence that his charges will deliver the goods.

“This is the first time we’re able to try out the court. We’re delighted and everything seems good although the surface is a bit bumpy. I’m just happy that we’re able to test the court,” said Amin after the match.

“I’m quite happy with the overall performance of my boys but there’s still room for improvement,” said Amin.

Indoor hockey is making its debut in the Kuala Lumpur Games. Apart from host Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand are down for action in the men’s competition while Malaysia will square off against Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines.

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