KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian men's field hockey team are a sure bet for gold in the Phnom Penh Sea Games.
This is not to belittle their opponents, but men's coach Amin Rahim said his charges will deliver as expected.
Amin will field 14 Junior World Cup (JWC) players and four national seniors, and that should be enough to ensure the gold belongs to Malaysia.
"We have been the hockey powerhouse in Southeast Asia for a long time, and I'm not looking down on the other teams or belittling them.
"But based on our strength, the men's field gold medal is ours," said Amin. The JWC team went to Australia recently, and played against the Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS), where it won five matches and drew once (2-0, 2-0, 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 2-2).
"Based on the results against WAIS and also of the recent MHL (Malaysia Hockey League) matches, I'm confident that with the inclusion of four seniors to guide them, the JWC trainees will not disappoint.
"The four seniors will be in charge of goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack. That will balance our games squad," said Amin.
Malaysia's hockey players are expected to deliver four gold medals at the Phnom Penh Sea Games through men's and women's field hockey, men's and women's indoor events.
In indoor hockey, Indonesia and Thailand have made great progress, but Malaysia should have their day at the top of the podium.