ANTWERP: The Malaysian men's hockey team are as ready for the Bhubaneswar-Rourkela World Cup as is the main stadium in Rourkela.
Coach Arul Selvaraj's team were handed a 7-0 drubbing by world No. 2 and World Cup holders Belgium, just one day after beating their mixed team 1-0 in Antwerp.
Rourkela will host two of Malaysia's Group C matches, against the Netherlands and Chile, but the Birsa Munda Stadium is also under construction like Arul's team.
The last group match for Malaysia will be against New Zealand at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswsar which is a good eight hours' drive from Rourkela.
"We knew what to expect when we came to Belgium for friendlies with the World Cup winners. The fact that Belgium had agreed to host us by fielding their strongest side in the second match is a good achievement for us.
"My players received a good lesson of what can happen when they do not have confidence in themselves, and this will help them prepare better for the World Cup," said Arul.
Belgium beat the Netherlands in the 2018 World Cup final at the Kalinga Stadium. Coincidently the Dutch were also in Malaysia's group back then and they hammered coach Roelant Oltman's side 7-0.
"After this, we will play France (Oct 4 and 5) and these are the two matches we must win as a small step towards January," said Arul whose mother-in-law died yesterday, but he will be in Belgium to chart Malaysia's future in the World Cup on Jan 13–29 next year.