Young Tigers To Test Mettle Against Japan Ahead Of Junior Asia Cup

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) — The national men's hockey junior squad departed for Gifu, Japan, today to play five test matches against Japanese teams as preparation for the 2026 Men's Junior Asia Cup in Moqi, China, from Sept 4 to 13.

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation said in a statement today that they would play one match against the Japan senior team and four against the Japan Under-21 side from July 5 to 13, to expose the national juniors to high-intensity competition and assess the team's current standard.

National men's junior squad head coach Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin said nearly 80 per cent of the players are new faces and expressed hope that the series would accelerate their learning process and help them develop a more mature style of play within a short period.

“The team has two months to complete all preparations to ensure Malaysia achieves its mission of qualifying for the Junior World Cup through the Junior Asia Cup,” he said in the statement.

He said that upon returning from Japan, the national junior squad would undergo another phase of final preparations ahead of the prestigious tournament.

“We are aware that teams such as Bangladesh, China, Japan and Korea are on the rise, and they deserve close attention because they could pose a serious challenge to Malaysia's qualification mission.

“We are confident that with the best possible preparations, the players' determination and their desire to uphold Malaysia's honour will drive the team towards the positive results we are targeting,” he said.

They will play against the Japan senior team on July 7, followed by matches against the Japan Under-21 side on July 8, 10, 11 and 12.

— BERNAMA