On the pitch, the nation’s teams achieved some milestones, but off it, a lack of financial support hindered progress.

Successes were counterbalanced by the sobering setbacks suffered by the men’s senior and junior hockey teams in major tournaments.

Fans have mocked both the teams for their wildly fluctuating results, the sneer being it has been nothing short of abject mediocrity.

Not for Subahan Kamal, president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).

He remains a sunny force of optimism over the differing narratives on the teams’ tumultuous year.

While critics have demanded immediate results, Subahan has urged patience and for fans and analysts to view progress holistically.

A question about what will happen next brings the iron edge to his voice: “Trust the process.”

For Subahan, the reality is teams evolve.

Sometimes it is a tweak, on occasions a restructure, sometimes enforced, more often the consequence of insufficient funding and limited preparation time.

“Even the best ones, they start one way and end another,” said Subahan, projecting fortitude and faith in an interview on the year in review of Malaysian hockey.

He said the experiences of 2024, however, showed that men’s and women’s teams have some serious growing and developing to do.

Defending the process

Subahan said the men’s senior team was in a transitional phase, integrating younger talents while retaining some experienced players.

He argued that fluctuations in performance were part of the natural growth curve.

“Success does not happen overnight,” Subahan said. “We’ve seen glimpses of brilliance, and we need to build on that foundation.”

But hockey, he frowned, is tearing itself apart over lack of funding. “Malaysia’s sport funding policy needs change.”

Funding: The Achilles’ heel

Underfunding stunts the growth of sport, foils strengthening national teams and hampers global competitiveness, said Subahan.

Subahan said the annual RM3-RM4 million hockey received under the national budget for the sports sector was way below the RM12 million it required.

In Budget 2025, sports received RM230 million, and the MHC has presented its plans for larger funding for next year to the national sports council (NSC).

The MHC, Subahan said, has struggled to secure adequate resources, leading to compromised training programmes and reduced international exposure.

“We’re competing with nations that invest heavily in their hockey programmes,” lamented Subahan. “When we can’t afford proper preparation, it’s hard to match their consistency and depth.”

“India has unlimited funding, they can park a team in Europe and stay there for three months and play match after match.

“We do not have that privilege. When our team travels abroad to play top teams, it costs between RM400,000 and RM500,000, 70% of which goes for flight tickets and hotel accommodation.

“We do not get a single cent from the world body (FIH) and if we have more funds, we would be able to send our boys abroad regularly to face elite competition.”

“We’re giving our best, but the system needs more support,” Subahan said. “We need sustainable investment to unlock their full potential.”

Subahan said while he understood the limitations of funding faced by the NSC and the youth and sports ministry, the federal government has to consider a more robust financial framework for all sports.

His suggestions to bridge the gap include greater government involvement in forging stronger corporate sponsorships, exploring public-private partnerships and creating a national sports fund.

For Malaysian hockey to thrive on the world stage, the collective will of the government, private sector, and fans will be indispensable, he said.

“But we also need to perform. If the team doesn’t perform, sponsors shy away, but when you don’t pay the players well, then it’s hard for them to perform,” added Subahan.

The realities of being a hockey player

For many hockey players, the journey is far from the assurance of financial security.

A national men’s senior player earns a monthly allowance as low as RM1,200 to RM1,500 under the podium programme, a dedicated national elite athlete preparation scheme.

The MHC tops up that figure to ensure the players get about RM4,000 each monthly, a stark contrast to M-League footballers, who can earn up to RM50,000 or more.

The juniors get no allowances at all from the government’s sports initiatives. MHC uses its own funds to pay them about RM2,000 each month.

Subahan said a men’s senior player should ideally get RM10,000 a month to run a family and pay his bills.

He bemoaned: “How do we expect a player to give his best when he doesn’t earn enough money?

“It’s difficult to stay motivated when you’re giving your all for the country, but the rewards don’t match the effort.”

“In the end, sports is not just about passion but also fairness, and it’s time Malaysia hockey gets its fair play.”

A year of highs and lows

Subahan said his most memorable moment in 2024 was the performance of the senior women’s team in the Asian Champions Trophy in India last month.

Malaysia finished fourth in the tournament, the brightest spark being the surprising 2-1 victory over South Korea.

Subahan was equally proud of the juniors who made history by qualifying on merit for the first time for the Women’s FIH Junior World Cup 2025 in Chile.

Eighty percent of players in the seniors are women who are eligible to play for the juniors now.

He said both the campaigns highlighted their ability to compete against tougher opponents, a result of a six-year plan for women’s hockey.

High fives also went the way of the Hockey 5s team who emerged second in the world championships, and the indoor hockey squad that qualified for the world cup for the first time.

Earlier this month, the men’s juniors qualified for the 2025 Men’s FIH Junior World Cup after finishing fourth in the Asian championship.

What has the year been for Sarjit Singh, Malaysia hockey’s head coach?

Sarjit said: “It has been tough since I took over the senior team nine months ago. To build a team is not easy, it will take time.

“It’s not fair to judge me after a few months on the tournaments this year. Judge me in two years as you need to give time for the new players to play more internationally.

“We needed to play at least 50 international matches but this year we only got about 17 matches.”

Sarjit said fitness was the main problem when he took charge of the team.

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup came three weeks into his new job, with Malaysia finishing fourth.

That was followed by the Nations Cup two weeks later where Malaysia ended seventh and failed to make the cut for the Paris Olympics.

Six weeks on, it was the Asian Champions Trophy where the country finished last among the six countries.

He said they needed at least 14 weeks of physical conditioning to match the fitness levels of teams like India, South Korea, Japan and China.

The team is now undergoing a physical training programme designed by legendary South Korean coach, Kim Sang-ryul.

Sarjit said another problem that he faced this year was the failure of the Asian Hockey Federation to come out with its calendar of events at least a year earlier.

“We don’t even have the calendar of events for next year’s championships, and that piles further problems on us,” he added.

For Majid Manjit Abdullah, chairman of the MHC coaching committee, the focus shifts to addressing the various concerns and charting a path forward.

He said he was happy with Sarjit’s work and that lessons from 2024 will fuel Malaysia’s drive to excel on the international hockey stage.

“The passion for hockey runs deep in Malaysia, and with the right investments and policies, the national men’s team can rise once again,” he said.