Sarjit: I was made a scapegoat

2026-03-28 - 00:50

Sarjit Singh says his dismissal as national coach came as a shock despite guiding Malaysia to the World Cup. KUALA LUMPUR: The call came late on a Sunday night. By Monday, Sarjit Singh was told his time as national men’s hockey coach was over. No warning. No review. No chance to present his report. Just weeks after guiding Malaysia to the World Cup. “It came as a shock,” Sarjit, 63, said in an exclusive interview. “I couldn’t believe it.” He was told the matter had already been settled. Sarjit said he first heard of his fate from coaching and development committee chairman Majid Manjit Abdullah , who asked to meet him the following day. “I met him and he told me my contract was not extended,” Sarjit said. “I asked him why. He said the decision had already been made.” According to Sarjit, Manjit did not provide a reason, instead indicating that the move came from the president, Subahan Kamal, and the executive board of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC). “He told me the president would see me the next day,” Sarjit said. That meeting came on Tuesday morning. MHC president Subahan Kamal faces scrutiny over the decision-making process behind Sarjit Singh’s removal, as questions emerge over governance within Malaysian hockey. Rankings over results When Sarjit met Subahan, the explanation was clearer, but no less contentious. “He told me he was not happy with the world ranking,” Sarjit said. Sarjit said the conversation also turned to a remark he had made about the need for a larger player pool. He told me he took issue with my remark that we need more players,” he said. Sarjit insisted his comment was taken out of context. “We have so many tournaments coming — Nations Cup, World Cup, Asian Games, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Asian Champions Trophy. We need more players so we can rotate,” he said. “I said it in a good way.” The disagreement hinted at a deeper divide between the demands of international hockey and expectations at the administrative level. Subahan, however, remained focused on Malaysia’s slide in the world rankings following defeats at the World Cup qualifier in Ismailia, Egypt. But Sarjit pointed to what he believed should have carried greater weight. “I told him I had already said we would qualify for the World Cup, and we did,” he said. “So I think it’s not fair.” For Sarjit, the issue was not just the decision, but the timing. “I think I am the first coach to take a team to the World Cup and not go with them,” he said. No report, no process Beyond results, Sarjit questioned how the decision was handled “You must understand, I had just come back. They had not even seen my report,” he said.