Former Malaysian hockey stalwart Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi believes the national team could have qualified for the 2004 Olympics if he and several others had stayed on to guide the younger players.
Mirnawan, who retired in 2002, was part of the national squad that played in the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Olympics. Little did he know the Sydney Games would be Malaysia’s last Olympic hockey appearance.
“For me, if you want to represent the country, you must give 100 per cent. You can’t do it for money or any other reason. So, when I knew I couldn’t give my all, I decided it was time for me to leave,” said Mirnawan on the Julang podcast.
“I stepped down with confidence in the team and the coach (Paul Lissek), who I believed could take Malaysia to Athens in 2004. Even though seniors like Mike (Maninderjit Singh), Chairil (Anwar Abdul Aziz), and I were no longer around, we had promising talents.”
He named Keevan Raj, S. Kuhan, Chua Boon Huat, Nor Azlan Bakar, and S. Kumar, among others, as the next generation who could lead the team to Olympic qualification.
“At the time, I didn’t feel guilty leaving because I truly believed they could do it. But when they failed to qualify, it became my biggest regret. Even now, when I reflect on my career, I still tell myself, ‘I should have continued playing until Athens.’”
When asked about the highlights of his career, he cited representing Malaysia in three Olympics, winning the silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, featuring in two World Cups (Utrecht 1998 and Kuala Lumpur 2002), and being selected for the Asian All-Stars and World 11 in 1999.
“I was part of the World 11 that played against World Cup champions Holland in Egypt. I was the only Malaysian in the team — it was an unforgettable experience,” he added.
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