Unikl Stand Tall Again!

Kuala Lumpur (25 March 2021): Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil fired in the winning goal as Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) edged Maybank 1-0 to retain the TNBMHL Premier League title at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight.

It was UniKL’s third straight Premier League triumph. Following today’s victory, UniKL ended their campaign in the league unbeaten at the top of the table standings with 19 points from seven matches, winning six and drew one. They now hold a proud record of an unbeaten stretch of 33 matches since 2019 — winning 30 and drew three.

The varsity team, who had also retained the Charity Shield on March 12, first won the Premier League title in 2019 and went on to create history last season by winning the Charity Shield, Premier League and TNB Cup (overall champions).

UniKL Ladies had also emerged champions in the Malaysian Women’s League last week and now go into their next challenge – the Vivian May Soars Cup.

“Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin has been under rehabilitation for a long period and even when he was training (online) with the national team recently. He is not his usual self this season because of that, but when it mattered most, my experienced player made it count,” said a jubilant UniKL team manager Datuk Amir Azhar Ibrahim.

“This has been a great victory for us after retaining the Charity Shield. The team played well to earn this win. Congratulations to all the payers for working hard throughout the match and as expected Maybank came very strongly against us in attack and defence,” he added.

The goal came in the 49th minutes off a goalmouth melee. The initial move was orchestrated by team captain Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil, who slipped the ball past two Maybank defenders from the right goal line, Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin picked it from there and relayed the ball to Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin who had to break free from a tight situation in front of the goalmouth before netting the ball into the net.

The goal sank Maybank who played gallantly until Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin’s strike.

The match got off to a fast pace with neither team having the better of the other throughout the match.

Defending champions UniKL must win this match at all costs to run away as Premier League champions. Anything short spells disaster to the varsity team’s hopes as lurking dangerously are Terengganu Hockey Team (THT).

UniKL lead the table standings with 16 points while THT are one point behind on 15. A win by THT against Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) who play later in the night will witness THT amassing 18 points and emerge as champions.

UniKL went into the offensive from the very beginning and had four penalty corner opportunities but Muhammad Razie Rahim and company could not not find the break as goalkeeper Muhammad Zaimi Mat Daris was in sparkling form as he made over six saves.

Maybank, who are also in the running for the title, were not only solid in defence but also highly motivated to score, mounting a barrage of attacks.

They had two penalty corners and the best chance to score came in the 42nd minute when Mohd Haziq Samsul’s reverse stick shot was padded away by goalkeeper Adrian Andy Roberts.

Maybank, instead of sitting back, took the fight to their opposition but could do find the equaliser with 11 minutes remaining to the final hooter