From Muhammad Afiff Md Adnan
NAGOYA, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s 1-5 defeat to India in the men’s hockey final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games yesterday has not dampened national captain Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil’s belief that the team can still qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).
Malaysia missed out on an automatic ticket to LA28 after losing to defending champions India in the final at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, but Marhan said the team had shown several positive developments throughout the tournament.
“Of course, we are disappointed that we could not perform well in the final. India played very well and deserved to win the gold medal. Compared with three months ago, we were able to execute our game better on the field.
“We beat Pakistan and South Korea. We just could not beat India in the final,” he told reporters yesterday.
Marhan said the national squad must improve its performance in crucial matches while ensuring every player contributes collectively instead of relying on certain individuals.
“We need to play better in important matches. We cannot rely on one or two players to do the job because everyone on the field needs to work together in a more organised manner,” he said.
On Malaysia’s chances of securing a LA28 berth through the Olympic qualifying tournament, Marhan remained confident that the national squad could achieve the target.
“We will go through the Olympic qualifiers and I hope all the players will continue to work hard. I believe we can qualify.
“The coach will identify the areas that need to be improved and hopefully we can put everything together as a team,” he said.
The national squad will next turn its attention to the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) in India from Oct 27 to Nov 5.
-- BERNAMA