Selangor Hockey Association Men’s team against Pahang during the Malaysian Hockey Federation’s National Hockey 5s tournament at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
Selangor Hockey Association (SHA) is undergoing a quiet reset under the leadership of its new president.
Gurdip Singh Mann took office earlier this year with a mandate to restore stability and structure.
A long-time club administrator and co-founder of Synergy Hockey Club, Gurdip took on the role with the intention of only serving one term until 2027.
His focus is on laying down systems that future leaders can build on, rather than attempting a rapid turnaround.
For years, Selangor’s presence in national-level hockey has waned, with inconsistent performances, limited youth talent and declining district engagement.
While the state still boasts pockets of passionate players and clubs, it lacks match opportunities and has struggled to build and maintain a reliable development system, especially when compared with neighbouring states like Perak.
Selangor women’s team ahead of the Malaysian Hockey Federation’s National Hockey 5s tournament at the National Hockey Stadium. SHA wants to get more women in the state involved in hockey.
The lack of a centralised calendar, limited funding and insufficient match exposure have contributed to the dip in competitiveness in competitions like the Tun Abdul Razak Cup and Malaysia Games (Sukma).
“Many district associations have been inactive and club- level activities have become sporadic due to financial constraints and a lack of coordination.
“These conditions led to a slow erosion of talent and participation, especially among women and younger age groups,” Gurdip, 56, told StarMetro.
SHA’s top priority is to rebuild its financial base because running state leagues, training sessions and pitch rentals come with significant costs.
“We can’t raise the funds overnight but we have to put in the effort. We have already started, so hopefully we can slowly build up our coffers,” said Gurdip.
“Running a state league for a few weeks can easily cost about RM100,000.
“Venue cost alone can be half of that.
“We have been busy setting up meetings with the Selangor Sports Council, Youth and Sports Ministry, local councils and potential sponsors. These are crucial stakeholders who can help us move forward.”
To help rebuild the association’s foundations, Gurdip has brought in a team of former state and national players as well as seasoned officials who have been to the top of their fields.
Gurdip (second from right) with (from left) Kuganeson, Brian and Stephen at the committee’s first council meeting.
Among them are deputy president Brian Gerard Fernandez, vice-presidents P. Kuganeson, Nishel Kumar, Stephen Asecalin Fernandez, Nor Azuairi Che Sidik and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) sports director Dr Nur Shakila Mazalan.
“We want to encourage more women to join the association. It is not just a men’s team that we have,” said Gurdip.
Among SHA’s challenges are reactivating lapsed affiliates and supporting school-level hockey to feed the talent pool.
Currently, only two out of nine district associations – Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor – are affiliates of SHA and active.
“Some of them are inactive or have been deregistered, so we have started reaching out to the remaining seven districts to get things back on track.”
Selangor women’s team performance has been commendable.
Gurdip also pointed out the importance of restoring Selangor’s standing in major national competitions like the Tun Abdul Razak Cup, which the state last won in 1996.
“We were giants at one time. The Razak Cup was where everyone looked out for Selangor.
“Now, we struggle to even field a proper team. But if we can get the foundation right – the clubs, the schools, the districts – then, competing at that level will become realistic, ” he said.
On the state’s showing in last year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma), Gurdip described the performance of Selangor men’s side, which placed 11th, as “disappointing”.
The women’s team, he said, performed respectably, finishing 5th last year and emerging runner-up in 2022.
“Sukma is critical for identifying young talent and measuring the strength of development programmes at the state level.
“We have proposed a full review of selection, training methods and preparation ahead of the next edition,” he added.
Selangor men’s team training at the MBPJ Hockey Stadium in Petaling Jaya. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS, KAMARUL ARIFFIN, GLENN GUAN/The Star
SHA recently participated in the Malaysian Hockey Federation’s National Hockey 5s tournament – its first major competition under the new leadership.
Despite limited preparation, the women’s team delivered a commendable third-place finish while the men’s side placed eighth.
“We had an open trial as we don’t yet have a fixed pool for the Hockey 5s format. But this gave us a good idea of what’s out there,” said Gurdip on preparing the men’s and women’s squads for the tournament.
The committee is also reviewing SHA’s internal constitution and updating its governance framework.
Gurdip said current rules needed to be revised to reflect present-day challenges and ensure that responsibilities were clearly defined.
He noted that clear roles and responsibilities were important to avoid confusion and ensure accountability.
SHA has five voting affiliates – Star Hockey Club, Synergy Hockey Club, Selangor Indian’s Association as well as the district associations of Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor.
Non-voting associate affiliates include Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Sports and Culture Club, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Tenaga Nasional and Kelab PJ.
One of SHA’s key long-term goals is to revive inter-district competition and strengthen the base of coaches, umpires and technical officers.
For that, Gurdip said SHA would look at adopting development models from other successful states such as Perak.
He hopes to revive inactive clubs and encourage new ones to register.
“The clubs are the engine room. Without them, there is no development.
“I told the council that our purpose should be developing the young.
“In another three years, we must have a pool of young players.
“We need to focus on building players, not just fielding teams.”
He said SHA was widening its outreach to ensure rural and small-town clubs were not left out.
“Even if one boy from Tanjung Karang makes it to the state team, it matters. That’s how you grow the game.”
With Selangor set to host Sukma next year, SHA is also working with local councils to improve the hockey stadiums of Klang Royal City Council and Petaling Jaya City Council.
Lighting and maintenance are key concerns, especially at the MBPJ hockey stadium which is in need of upgrades.
“We have presented the Sukma secretariat with a technical report and had a thorough site visit,” said Gurdip.
“Now we are waiting for feedback and follow-up. If the venue is upgraded in time, it will benefit not just us but all hockey users beyond Sukma.”
He said the association also needed to train more umpires, judges and match officials.
“We cannot always depend on the same few people. We need to train more umpires, judges and match officials.”
To ensure continuity and long-term improvement, Gurdip aims to improve documentation and processes within the association.
“Everything should be in writing. There should be manuals, standard procedures, and timelines.
“That way, the next committee doesn’t have to start from zero.
“My term as president is for one year and we have a lot on our plate, so it will take one year just to settle in.
“Hopefully, we can prepare well enough for the next best person to take over and that is why we need to build a system that can stand on its own.”
