Kuala Lumpur (2 March, 2019): Defending champions Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s (UniKL) plans to clinch the TNB Cup for a second consecutive year took a bumpy ride at the Tun Razak Stadium on Saturday.

Terengganu Hockey Team (THT), who finished third in the Premier League, instead celebrated 2-1 victory with penalty corner conversions by South Koreans Jang Jonghyun in the 25^th minute and Jung Manjae in the 40^th minute to emerge champions for the fifth time in the history of the TNB Cup that was first introduced in 2006.

Jang has scored 22 goals and Jung 10 in the Malaysian Hockey League this season. League champions UniKL replied through drag-flick specialist Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim via a penalty corner conversion in the 44^th minute.

The Terengganu outfit also won a handsome purse of RM100,000 in prize money while UniKL took home RM60,000 and Tenaga Nasional Berhad, who finished third, received RM40,000.

TNB had earlier pulverised Maybank 7-2 in the playoff for third-fourth placing.

In a pulsating final that was watched by an estimated 1,200 fans, UniKL created eight penalty corner opportunities and THT recorded seven.

“We are very excited to win the TNB Cup against a great team like UniKL. The final was intensely fought and we took our chances, thanks to Jang and Jung’s goals. Overall the team played a great game. Some of the players were injured in the match but kept the fighting spirit intact,” said THT coach, I Vicknewaran.

A dejected UniKL coach, Arul Selvaraj, observed: “I don’t one to be one-sided but credit to THT.  They played a hard game in the second and third quarters. We also had a lot of opportunities and did not score. I would like to give credit to our goalkeeper Adrian (Andy Albert) who made some excellent saves, and Farhan (Mohd Zain) who played in his second match of the season,” said Arul.

“We only had 16 players on the bench as four of our foreign signings could not play in the final due to EHF restriction. But it was a great match. I am disappointed but there is nothing we can do with only 16 players on the field. Every player did his best,” he added.

UniKL was denied the services of Dutch internationals Martijn Havenga, Robbert Kemperman and Valetin Verga as well as Ireland captain and goalkeeper David Harte before the start of the final by the European Hockey Federation (EHF).

The varisty side had appealed to the European hockey governing body for the inclusion of the ‘fabulous Four’ who are contracted to play in the EuroHockey League and their last day of playing in overseas leagues was February 28.

The four could only watch the final proceedings from the grand stand gallery.