Fitri Saari Urges Malaysian Hockey Players to Join Foreign Leagues

Rajgir (Bihar), Sep 4 (PTI) Star midfielder Fitri Saari underscores the need for Malaysian hockey players to compete in foreign leagues to enhance the sport's stature in their home country. He is also aspiring to play in the upcoming edition of the Hockey India League (HIL).

With his sights set on next year’s HIL, Fitri, who is the brother of striker Faizal Saari, has already entered his name for the mini-auction scheduled for the first week of October. "Yes, I want to play in the Hockey India League. For Asia to compete with Europe, Pan America, and Australia, more players from our region need to participate in the HIL," Fitri expressed during an interaction with PTI. Meanwhile, Malaysia continues its impressive performance in the ongoing Asia Cup, securing a 2-0 victory over China.

"I’ve already submitted my name to the HIL mini-auction. My hope is that my performances here will be noticed, and I am ready to play for any team. I just need an opportunity to demonstrate my competitiveness and skill," he added.

A key player in the 2018 Asian Games silver-medal winning team, Fitri emphasized that Malaysian players require international exposure, which can be achieved by participating in foreign leagues. "We need to play in leagues outside Malaysia. If given the chance to compete in the Hockey India League or the Dutch league, we must seize it to learn more," he noted.

He believes that if seven or eight Malaysian players participate in various global leagues, including HIL, they will gain more exposure and learn from other players.

Hockey in Malaysia had its golden era in the 1980s and 1990s, with a significant moment being the 1975 World Cup on home soil, where they reached fourth place. Malaysia has qualified for the Olympics nine times, achieving their best result with an eighth-place finish at the 1972 Munich Olympics. However, the Malaysian team, known as the Speedy Tigers, has not qualified for the Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Games.

Fitri believes it’s time to break this cycle as he stated, "We draw pride and inspiration from our past generations who played in the 1975 World Cup semifinals. Since then, hockey has become one of Malaysia's three most popular sports, alongside badminton and football. It is now up to the new generation to elevate Malaysian hockey, with our primary goal being Olympic qualification."

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Sultan of Johor Cup are notable Malaysian-hosted tournaments, though they are invitational events. Fitri hopes for more major international competitions in Malaysia. "It is up to the federation and the government to host big tournaments," he said.

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