KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 14 teams will compete for the boys’ crown in the National Under-16 Championships, which starts on Saturday, at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The girls’ event has attracted 13 states except for Kelantan.
In 2017, Perak won the boys’ event after edging Terengganu 1-0, while Kuala Lumpur defeated Sabah 4-3 in the girls’ final.
Kirandeep Kaur, who scored the winning goal for KL last year, will again be her team’s mainstay as they look to retain their title.
"We have selected both our boys' and girls' teams. We are banking on our girls to win the title again while we hope our boys can improve from last year’s 10th placing,” said KL Hockey Association secretary V. Rajamanickam.
Perak are favourites to retain the boys’ title which they have won four times — 2006, 2007, 2013 and 2017.
Groupings
Boys
Group A: Perlis, Johor, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Sarawak;
Group B: Malacca, Penang, Terengganu, Selangor, Kedah;
Group C: Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Kelantan, Sabah.
Girls
Group A: Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Perlis;
Group B: Kedah, Sabah, Malacca, Penang;
Group C: Selangor, Perak, Terengganu, Johor.