Dec 20, 2017
THUNDEROUS GOALS
Sports
Hockey is quite a popular sport among Malaysians, coming second only to football. Back in 2006 however, it was sadly playing second fiddle to other sports. This meant that the pool of amazing talent we had was left undeveloped. Hence came the idea from one of TNB’s former CEOs to bring together former national players to assist with coaching talented young Malaysian hockey players.
Following the initial success of this programme, it then earned the name Thunderbolts Programme for Hockey Development, due to the unexpected rise and success of the players.
The following year, the programme enlisted our first school participant – the Tunku Mahkota Sports School (Sekolah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail - SSTMI). There, we executed various specially crafted clinics run by former players to inspire this new generation of players.
Thunderbolts Programme formula
This was made possible through the three-lever standard. At the first lever, we increased and expanded the pool of players through one-of-a-kind clinics and various school presence. Whereas at the second lever, the intermediate and grass-roots level coaches’ skills are boosted so that they can better pass on accurate knowledge and skills to the players. For the third lever, we cooperated with relevant parties such as schools, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ministry of Education, and more to achieve a greater impact.
Throughout the years, these talented players have been graced by expert coaches such as Nor Saiful Zaini, Lailin Abu Hassan, M. Kaliswaran, Nor Azlan Bakar, K. Rajan, Ahmad Sayuti, Nadarajan, Madzl Ikmar, Amin Rahim and Fairus Ramli, just to name a few.
A Snapshot of Today
Fast forward to today, the Thunderbolt Programme has empowered four schools that compete annually in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League. With time, we have seen through the development of these bright young talents and sharpened them further by advancing them to the Hockey National Team.
With all these one-of-a-kind programmes available for these talented players, we’ve seen results such as having SSTMI maintaining championships and dominating the top positions within the TNB Malaysian Junior Hockey League (TNB-MJHL) every year.
Promising players hoping to further develop their talents even after graduation can rest assured as they stand a chance to enter and train with the National Hockey Team, the TNB Thunderbolts. Historically, 18 national players have been cultivated through the Thunderbolt Programme since its inception.
Succeeding that, there are currently four national coaches whom are TNB staff (Sports Unit). And to top it all off, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has published a book named The Sticks – TNB Hockey Books accounting the tales and success of the programme.
Year | Achievement | League/Cup | Team |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Champion (Overall) Runner-up (League) |
MHC-Milo-NSC Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL) | SSTMI Thunderbolts |
2011 | Champion (League) Runner-up (Overall) |
SSTMI Thunderbolts | |
2012-2015 | Champion (League) Champion (Overall) |
SSTMI Thunderbolts | |
2016 & 2017 | Top 4 semi-finalists | TNB-Malaysian Junior Hockey League (TNB-MJHL) | SSTMI Thunderbolts Pahang Sports School (SSP) Thunderbolts Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) Thunderbolts Anderson Thunderbolts |
2016 | 6th place (League) Runner-up (Tan Sri Alagendra Cup) | Malaysian Hockey League Tournament | TNB |
Champion (Division 1) | TNB Thunderbolts | ||
Runner-up (Overall) Champion (League) |
TNB-Malaysian Junior Hockey League | SSTMI Thunderbolts | |
Runner-up (Overall) Champion (League) |
(TNB-MJHL) | BJSS Thunderbolts | |
3rd place (Overall) 4th place (League) |
SSP Thunderbolts | ||
Champion (Division 2) | Anderson Thunderbolts | ||
2017 | 4th place (League) Semi-finalist (Overall) |
Malaysian Hockey League Tournament | TNB |
6th place (League) | TNB Thunderbolts | ||
Champion | Matador Cup | TNB | |
Semi-finalist | TNB Thunderbolts | ||
Champion (Overall) Runner-up (League) |
TNB-Malaysian Junior Hockey League (TNB-MJHL) | SSTMI Thunderbolts | |
3rd place (Overall) 3rd place (League) |
BJSS Thunderbolts | ||
2nd place (Overall) 4th place (League) |
SSP Thunderbolts | ||
4th place (Overall) 5th place (League) |
Anderson Thunderbolts |
More Than Just Hockey
At the end of the day, we want to provide more than just hockey talent development but also wholesome development as individuals. These talented players are also given the opportunity to further their studies at UNITEN or ILSAS, picking a course of their choice.
Then later on if they choose so, they too can advance within the hockey scene by getting promoted or to coach the team. Those who enter the TNB family also benefit not only from a great work environment but also from sports leave, hockey allowance, recognition and rewards.