KUALA LUMPUR: National women’s coach K. Dharmaraj wants nothing but gold in the Hockey Series Open, which starts on Saturday, in Singapore.
World No 22 Malaysia open against unranked Indonesia on Saturday, followed by 43rd-ranked Hong Kong (Sunday), 34th-ranked Kazakhstan (Tuesday), 28th-ranked Thailand (Wednesday) and 35th-ranked Singapore (Thursday).
Dharmaraj, however, warned his charges not to be overconfident against their lowly opponents.
"We are the highest ranked team here and were are expected to win the tournament. The top two will advance to the next round,” said Dharmaraj in Singapore.
"But then again, we need to respect every team as being overconfident could spoil our party."
The Hockey Series Open serves as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
For the record, Malaysia hosted the World League Round Two last year and won a silver medal.
On Indonesia, Dharmaraj said: “Our opening match will be very interesting as Indonesia is coached by former national captain M. Mahendran. Although, they do not have a world ranking, we will not underestimate them,” he said.
Dharmaraj served a surprise by including uncapped Kirandeep Kaur for the tournament.
"Kirandeep, 15, was excellent in training. She is not here for a holiday.
“She will be utilised when needed in matches," Dharmaraj added.