Nasihin Nubli named national women's hockey team coach

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 -- The nine-month wait for the national women’s hockey team head coach is finally over, as the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) today announced former international, Mohd Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim for the role.

MHC President Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said the men’s team assistant coach was handed an immediate promotion as the women’s team boss on a two-year contract over three other candidates in the final round interview – a local, a Brit and a Dutch national. 

Former goalkeeper Mohd Nasihin, who had represented the country at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, had his first stint as the Malaysian Tigress head coach from 2011-2015, in which he led the team to two SEA Games gold, including a record 36-0 win against Cambodia in 2013 Myanmar edition.

“From a total of 23 candidates (12 foreigners and 11 locals) who applied for the job, we felt Nasihin is the best man to take up the role. He knows the players and he can even tell which player can go far and which player can deliver.

“With better support in terms of funding and exposure this time, we hope he can bring the women’s team to a higher level,” said Subahan in a press conference after the coaching committee meeting at the National Hockey Stadium here, today.

Mohd Nasihin also helped the national team secure fifth place at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, 2013 and 2014 Asia Cup as well as a bronze in the 2013 Women's Asian Champions Trophy.

Subahan said Mohd Nasihin, who be will be assisted by Lailin Abu Hassan, has been given two-months to name his coaching set-up, while men’s team boss A. Arul Selvaraj now has the freedom to name his goal keeping coach to replace Mohd Nasihin, with former internationals, S. Kumar and Roslan Jamaluddin among the options available.

The women’s team post became vacant after former head coach, Muhammad Dharma Raj Abdullah decided not to reapply for the job after his contract ended in December.

Meanwhile, Mohd Nasihin when met at the sidelines of the ongoing Tun Abdul Razak Cup tournament said he is aiming big to make his charges the best in Asia in the next six years, taking South Korea, Japan and China as examples.

“We have a lot of talented young players in the team, about 60 per cent of the players in the national team are under-21 years of age, a beginning of a new era.

“This is a good opportunity for me to continue raising their standards. First, I would have to instil the warrior mindset which is lacking among the players and add team spirit which will create harmony in the team,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA