KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah wants the national hockey team to forget about the failure to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics and instead focus on playing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Al-Sultan Abdullah said the team, under head coach Roelant Oltmans, needs to win two play-off matches against Great Britain for a 2020 Olympics slot at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London on Nov 2 and 3.
He said it is the hope of all Malaysians to see the national squad qualify for the largest multi-sport event in the world and he prayed victory would favour the Malaysian Tigers.
"I hope all players will continue to give their best.
"Make sure that you are all super fit...eat sufficiently. InsyaAllah, after departing (for London), you will all play for the country, play for the whole rakyat of Malaysia and not forgetting for the king and queen of Malaysia," he said.
Al-Sultan Abdullah was speaking at a Hi-Tea hosted by him and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah for the national hockey squad at Istana Negara today.
The royal couple were met by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.
In this regard, Al-Sultan Abdullah who was MHC president from 2008 to 2015, also planned to invite other national athletes to attend similar programmes during his reign as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"I am looking forward to today's event...to invite athletes or national players. Not just the hockey team.
"Nonetheless, today is rather special. Just to let you know you are the first team to come to Istana Negara to have tea with me," he said.
For the record, Great Britain under coach Danny Kerry will be featuring players from world number seventh, England, Wales (18th) and Scotland (19) while the national squad are now ranked 11th in the world.
Malaysia last qualified for Olympics in the Sydney 2000 edition. — Bernama