Winners Of MADANI Youth Hockey Championship To Undergo Special Training Stint In Pakistan

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Winners of the U-14, U-16 and U-18 categories at the 2026 MADANI National Youth Hockey Championship will earn the opportunity to participate in a week-long development programme in Pakistan, featuring training, friendly matches and hockey clinics with international legends.

Tournament director Bryan Lee said the programme was among the key objectives of the event, with selected players set to take part in a special development stint in Pakistan alongside world hockey legend Shahbaz Ahmed, who also serves as the tournament’s ambassador and advisor.

“The programme will involve training with school and state teams in Pakistan, as well as friendly matches and games against former international players.

“Exposure is the key, as it enables players to play while gaining valuable knowledge in the country. Within a week, there will be four or five series of matches, in addition to several hockey clinics with legends,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz said developing young players goes beyond formal training, highlighting the value of inspiration gained from meeting figures who have made history in world hockey.

“…and what I can do is bring in some of the legends involved in top-level coaching, like Tahir Zaman, head and high-performance coach of the Pakistan hockey team and recognised as Asia’s first hockey educator.

“We have stars like Kaleemullah, Hassan Sardar, and I can offer guidance myself, because personally I believe that Malaysian youth don’t (only) need formal coaching; they need inspiration to come into hockey,” he said.

In the meantime, tournament advisor Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin, when asked about Pakistan’s infrastructure, said the essence of hockey success lies not only in world-class facilities but also in the mindset and fighting spirit of the athletes.

The U-14 category of the tournament will feature only local teams, with organisers hoping to field 40 male and 40 female teams, for a total of 80 teams, with the competition scheduled to take place at KPM Stadium in May.

The U-16 category welcomes teams from across Malaysia, with 48 male and 48 female teams expected and matches scheduled at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, while the exact date will be announced later.

The U-18 category will be held as an international tournament, featuring at least 12 male and 12 female teams, with the venue and date to be confirmed.

--BERNAMA