MELAKA skipper B. Namasivayam has played 17 consecutive Razak Cup tournaments, and will be leading a bunch of youngsters against Kuala Lumpur in the Division One semi-finals tomorrow.
The 33-year-old, who looks in his mid20s, has also tasted glory three times with Melaka. And now he wants more.
“I have seen it all in the Razak Cup, the ups and downs of my team, heartbreaks as well as the joy of playing in this premier tournament,” Namasivayam said.
“We are just two steps away from the title, and everybody is determined to give their best and play for the title.”
The tournament started with the haze and might end with the rain, but that does not bother the seasoned Namasivayam the least.
“The haze was a bit of a bother, but we overcame it to reach the semi-finals, and if the monsoon hits our game on Friday, I have no problems adapting to is as well,” Namasivayam said.
“As athletes, we are always ready for rain, shine or haze,” added the lanky veteran.
Amirol Aideed, the 24-year-old vicecaptain of Kuala Lumpur, said at yesterday’s press conference: “We defied the odds to beat some of the best states to reach the last four and for sure, we will give our very best and try to sneak into the final.”
Amirol, a national player, had scored Malaysia’s fifth goal against Japan in last year’s Asian Games final, butlostthe gold after a shootout in the end.
“We have a balanced team and just like Melaka, we are not afraid of the haze or rain as we are here to represent our state to the best of our ability,” said Amirol, who was not selected for the ongoing South Korea Tour with the national team.
The other Division One semi-final between Terengganu and Johor is also expected to be a cracker.
Tomorrow:
Division One — Men’s semi-finals:
Johor v Terengganu (Pitch 1, 6.30pm)
Kuala Lumpur v Melaka (Pitch 2, 6.30pm)
Women’s semi-finals:
Kuala Lumpur v Armed Forces (Pitch 1, 4pm)
Selangor v Police (Pitch, 4pm)
*Matches at National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil