KUALA LUMPUR: Who will take responsibility for Malaysia's debacle at the Olympic Qualifier in Muscat, Oman?
Is it the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC)? Or will head coach A. Arul Selvaraj be made a scapegoat for the failure?
It is very easy to get away by blaming coaches. While a national body can provide everything to a team, the reality is that if the players are not sufficiently skilled, they won't meet their targets.
Generally, Malaysia have a poor set of players — not good enough to play international hockey.
The warning signs were evident when Malaysia finished sixth at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games. Thus, hockey enthusiasts shouldn't be surprised by the Speedy Tigers' recent failure.
It is evident that Malaysian hockey is currently at its lowest ebb — only good enough to win gold medals at the Sea Games level.
Despite having thousands of hockey players engaged in various grassroots initiatives, Malaysia are struggling to reclaim their glory days.
What is wrong with our development?
For the record, Malaysia have not qualified for the Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Games.
One thing is certain: Malaysian hockey must return to basics and revamp the entire development structure to rival teams like Germany, India, Britain, and the Netherlands.
World No. 14 Malaysia fell short of reaching the semi-finals of the Olympic Qualifier tournament in Oman after a 3-3 draw against Pakistan, finishing at the bottom of their group with only one point.
While Britain topped the group, world No. 15 Pakistan finished second, and world No. 23 China took the third spot. Only the top three teams in the Muscat qualifier will advance to the Olympics.
Against Pakistan on Thursday, Malaysia could have defeated Pakistan and qualified for the semi-finals had Razie Rahim scored from a penalty stroke. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.
Arul's side displayed poor performance in every aspect of the game, failing to defend their lead three times against Pakistan.
Instead of fighting for an Olympic spot, Malaysia will play Chile in the classification round.
Two-time Olympian Datuk Poon Fook Loke is sad for the future of Malaysian hockey.
"Malaysia have the potential and skill to qualify for the Olympics in Muscat and should have easily defeated China and Pakistan.
"But they started their campaign by losing 3-2 to China, which was a significant setback.
"In the second game, they were outplayed by Britain (4-1). Malaysia had many opportunities against Pakistan but could not capitalise on them.
"In team sports, if you don't score, you lose.
"The Malaysian hockey team has failed many times, and I think it is time to rebuild the team for the future," said Fook Loke, who was part of Malaysia's World Cup team that finished fourth in the 1975 edition.
Former captain Datuk Sri Shanmuganathan suggested reviving state-level leagues to rebuild Malaysian hockey.
"How many states are still organising leagues? We need a larger pool of players. The affiliates of MHC are more interested in other things rather than addressing the state of the game in their states.
"Selangor used to host an exciting league, which attracted many teams, but you don't see it anymore.
"What about grassroots development in the country? If we have one, it is backward," said the 77-year-old Olympian.
He urged MHC and its affiliates to seek the assistance of former national players to aid in development.
"We have about 150 Olympians in Malaysian hockey who can help the states develop hockey.
"However, the national-level coaches are not interested in us. Instead, they will look for foreigners. These foreigners receive high salaries but fail in their duties to help players perform.
"I am not condemning the national team. Use the expertise in this country to rebuild Malaysian hockey. Our country has many talented players but needs guidance to excel.
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"We need thinking players who are mentally strong. Here, our players are robotic, executing what the coaches tell them to do. In international hockey, players must make quick and accurate decisions to prevail."
The Malaysian team in Muscat had a combined total cap of 2,253, yet they could not handle the pressure.
"MHC needs a proper and experienced selection committee to pick the best players for tournaments.
"My other suggestion is for MHC to send some top coaches in the country to Europe to learn modern methods of coaching. Europe is the best destination as they are dominating world hockey.
"I believe Malaysian hockey has to change their system of play. It needs an overhaul so that we can produce results," said Shan, also the captain of Malaysia's 1975 World Cup team.