Malaysia Must Beat South Korea To Earn Ticket To Junior World Cup - Coach

KUANTAN (Pahang, Malaysia), Nov 18 (Bernama) -- The Junior Asia Cup quarterfinal match against South Korea Thursday will be a do-or-die battle for the Malaysian junior hockey squad in its quest to book a ticket to the Junior World Cup, next year. However, coach A. Arulselvaraj said the task would not pose any pressure on the team but inspire his charges to continue their march towards the title in the ongoing 2015 Junior Asia Cup. "We are not feeling any pressure despite facing South Korea but rather consider the match as just another normal match. The boys know it will be a do-or-die battle but they are ready to face South Korea," he told reporters here Wednesday. He said the result would serve as a road map for the future of the junior squad and his future as the coach of the junior squad. "I am not concerned with my future but rather focused on training the junior players for the future. We have reached an important milestone and need to win so as to achieve the target," he said. Meanwhile, Jang Jung Min, the coach of South Korea whop regards Malaysia as a tough opponent said he was expecting a tough match. "Malaysia is a strong team because the junior squad is technically better while the individual skill of the players is better while the majority of my players lack experience of playing in international matches. "We need to strengthen our defence because our chances of winning is slim especially when Malaysia are playing on home soil and with support from the home fans," he said. -- BERNAMA