KUALA LUMPUR: Young Tigers had their baptism of fire when they were tossed around by senior teams in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
They completed their MHL campaign with seven wins and seven defeats, scoring 28 goals and conceding 32. The Tigers did not qualify for the overall semi-finals.
Young Tigers are the national Under-21 team preparing for the KL Junior World Cup (JWC) on Dec 5-16.
However, the women's team did better in their category. They finished third in the six-team event and will play in the Vivian May Soars Cup semi-finals.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal and national junior coach Amin Rahim are unperturbed by the results in the MHL.
The target before the JWC is the Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC).
"The boys did not fail in their mission. They were in the tournament for exposure," said Subahan today.
"Yes, Amin's team should have recorded more wins in the MHL. However, they are improving, and I believe they will be ready to play in the SoJC and JWC."
Amin said his team will play at least 20 to 25 international matches before the JWC.
"The team will play five matches at the Phnom Penh Sea Games in May and another five in the Junior Asia Cup, followed by a Tour of Europe, where six more games will test them.
"After that, it is the SoJC. I believe my players will be ready to put up a good challenge in the JWC," said Amin.
In the last SoJC, Amin's boys finished fifth among six teams.
This season's SoJC is expected to be an eight-team affair.
Malaysia, who finished eighth at the 2021 JWC in Bhubaneswar, have set their eyes on reaching the semi-finals in the KL edition.