Ice Hockey finds an unlikely home: Malaysia
Ice hockey is a very popular sport all over the world, especially in countries where the temperature is cold enough to sustain frozen lakes and snow. One of the most unlikely places to see the game being played is in Malaysia. This vibrant Asian country
is seeing increased interest among fans and athletes for a game that was unheard of in the country a few years ago. The ice hockey team of Malaysia has some unique problems to deal with, but despite them all the players and fans are a spirited bunch and they
want to make the game much more popular in the future.
Malaysia is a country where the sports of badminton and football are very popular but in the only ice rink in the country, the national ice hockey team practices. The small ice rink is in a shopping mall in the city of Petaling Jaya and this is the setting
for games of ice hockey that the national team play. There are some unique problems to playing in this ring such as the fact that it is not full regulation size and so only four players, instead of the regular five, can play on each side. This make the game
faster paced and helps to develop the players’ skills in close quarters but it disorients them when they actually play on full sized rinks.
The other issue is that in the shopping mall there are no seating arrangements for the fans of the game who have to stand around against the railings to watch the games. They only stick around for an average of 20 minutes before they leave and this does
not allow the players to get the support they so desperately need. With more fans and supporters maybe the players could prove that the game is very popular in the country and get some much needed funding.
The game came to Malaysia a few years ago and at that time it was not an organised or even professional affair. It was simply fans of the sport getting together to play impromptu matches. But over time the game became more popular and the Malaysian Ice Hockey
Federation (MIHF), was set up to organise games and govern the burgeoning sport. The president of the Federation, Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, has done an admirable job of setting up regional tournaments and preparing the team for international tournaments with a very
limited budget. The team has secured some memorable wins in the past at international tournaments but the interesting thing is that the country lags behind other countries such as Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, which also get no or minimal winters.
The biggest problem for the team seems to be the small ice rink. The players of the team like the acting captain, Allan Yeoh, think that with a new full sized rink the team could achieve miracles in the coming years. The rink is really holding them back
and lobbying is currently going on to try to influence the government and the sports ministry to provide them with the funding and support to build a new ice rink. Maybe with a new ice rink and more support from the government, Malaysia could become an ice
hockey powerhouse in the next few years.
There have been comparisons made between the Malaysian ice hockey team and the Jamaican bobsled team that debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The team was called Cool Runnings and it showed the world that with dedication
and a lot of heart, anything can be achieved. The Malaysian ice hockey team is hoping to emulate the success and acceptance of the Jamaican bobsled team and prove to the world that a hot, humid country in Asia can play the sport of ice hockey just as well
as established nations. There is even talk of sending the players to Canada to train in the hockey mad country.
With some support, a lot of funding, a new ice rink and the continued support of their fans, the Malaysian team may prove to the world that ice hockey can flourish in the most unlikely of places.
Tags: