The last time a Malaysian hockey team played at the Olympics, Bill Clinton was the president of the USA, France was the FIFA World Champion, and man had just averted the Y2K crisis.
Players who have worn the iconic ‘yellow and black’ jersey since, have had to bear the ignominy of faltering at the final hurdle in trying to secure a place at the quadrennial event. Then there’s the burden of letting down your fans.
Chances have come Malaysia’s way. On more occasions than one, the Speedy Tigers have had their fate in their hands, but they have let the opportunities slip away. It has been a tale of one heartbreak after another, the most recent coming in 2018.
The 2018 Asian Games offered one spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Malaysia had bettered favourite India in the semifinal and was just one step away from achieving the elusive feat.
In the final, Malaysia led Japan 5-2 with 10 minutes left in the last quarter. The spot was right there, ready to be grabbed. Malaysia was charging full steam at it. Until it was not.
The Samurai Japan struck thrice in the next eight minutes to pare the score. Abdul Jalil put Malaysia back in front in the penultimate minute only for Japan to squeeze in a goal in the dying seconds and force a shootout.
Malaysia lost 1-3 in the subsequent contest and its hopes of finally breaking the Olympics jinx came crashing down.
For Razie Rahim, there was a tone of familiarity in the defeat. This was not the first time the 35-year-old stood at this crossroads. He was a part of the team that fell short at the same stage in 2010, losing 0-2 against Pakistan.
But the two reverses do not deter him from hoping for a brighter future. Wanting to see his team past the finish line is what motivates the veteran to rally on. It is the unfinished dream that he wants to fulfil.
Personal target
“It is my personal target, my dream. This is why I am still going and in the team,” Rahim told Sportstar before the Asian Champions Trophy.
Hockey was a happy coincidence for Rahim, who holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management from University Putra in Serdang.
“My ambition has been to be a policeman since I was a child. That degree was my platform to do the same”Rahim Razie
Rahim was able to join the Royal Malaysia Police in 2016. The love for hockey, too, simmered somewhere in the meantime. While most kids pick up hockey sticks as young as four or five years old, Rahim was acquainted with the sport at 12 at his school.
“My teachers always supported me as they knew my capabilities in hockey, which provided me with great opportunities. Since then, I decided to play hockey seriously and it is now my profession,” said Rahim in an interview for Ritual Hockey.
Rahim repaid the faith his teachers put in him. Debuting for the Speedy Tigers in 2006, Rahim has made 319 appearances to date and is one of the finest drag flickers the country has produced. His exploits have contributed to 136 goals for Malaysia.
But his most cherished moment came in November 2022 when Malaysia defeated Korea 3-2 to clinch its maiden Sultan Azlan Shah Cup — a tournament that the nation hosts.
“I think winning the Azlan Shah is a sweet memory. That moment gives us the motivation to keep going towards our target,” said Rahim.
Of all the years Rahim has been a part of the Malaysian team, he thinks the current lot of players is the most closely-knit unit, capable of delivering on the big stage.
“I think the harmony in the team is much better than when I joined. Players are growing into their roles very fast. The players know our main target and how to manage their responsibility. They know their role as a national player ”Rahim Razie
The Speedy Tigers gave a glimpse of this harmony at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. Staying true to their name, the Malaysian players flourished in lightning-paced attacks. Players like Firhan Ashari, Faizal Saari, Fitri Saari, Shello Silverius, and Muhajir Abdu put forth almost telepathic chemistry to break down opposition defences.
Even the then World No. 4 India bore the brunt of this offensive blitzkrieg when Malaysia scored three goals in the first half of the final. Although India turned the tie around, Malaysia made the home team toil for the result till the final hooter.
The performance fit Rahim’s description of his unit. “We work very hard. The boys give everything,” said Rahim.
Barring the late siege by India, it was the kind of performance you would hope for before a big tournament like the Asian Games.
The steely resolve is what Rahim and the rest of the team would want to channel in Hangzhou. A nation’s hope rests on it.
Rahim’s dream, too, will be decided by it. He fulfilled his first ambition of becoming a policeman, and whether he gets to the second depends on this resolve.
