The young Malaysians who made World Cup history
Their Para hockey bronze is historic. For Merdeka, it offers a different measure of a nation’s strength: who gets the chance to contribute.
In the inaugural FIH Para Hockey World Cup, Malaysia's Para ID hockey team made history by securing a bronze medal through a victory over hosts Belgium with a score of 3-1. The team comprised nine teenagers, with the youngest players being Annur Qisya Haziqah and Nur Aireen Ufairah, both 14 years old. Sarah, the goalkeeper, was 16, while captain Mohamad Safirul was 20.
Iffat Sabaruddin, Emily Tiong, and Airiel Mikail were 17, 17, and 17 years old, respectively. Malaysia's assistant head of delegation, R Shanker, highlighted that the victory proved the team could compete against the world's best when provided with the right opportunities, support, and platform. Former national captain Maninderjit Singh emphasized that this achievement should serve as a foundation for the programme to grow and challenge for the World Cup title, opening doors for para ID hockey athletes to develop and compete internationally.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- The young Malaysians who made World Cup history freemalaysiatoday.com
