The Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) is a top league competition for field hockey clubs in the Malaysian hockey league system. There are, at present, seven teams in the Malaysia Hockey League. The competition has been played since 1987. At present also it is sponsored by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
Current season
The 2023 Malaysia Hockey League is the current season.
Teams
The following teams are participating in 2020 Malaysia Hockey League.
Premier Division
Terengganu Hockey Team Tenaga Nasional Berhad Hockey Club UniKL Hockey Club Maybank Hockey Club TNB Thunderbolts
Division 1
Nur Insafi HC UiTM HC ATM Airod HC Bukit Jalil Sports School Sekolah Sukan Tengku Mahkota Ismail Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh HC Politeknik Malaysia
Former teams
Yayasan Negeri Sembilan HC DeTas-Yayasan Pahang HC Kuala Lumpur City Hall HC Bank Simpanan Nasional HC MBf Dolphins HC Sapura Hockey Club Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club NT Stingers
History
Origin
The tournament was initiated to revive interest in the sport which was losing spectator interest to football in recent times. Hockey is one of Malaysia's major sports. The field hockey in Malaysia has been the main sport to choose when playing at a high level.
One of the main reasons for the waning popularity of the existing domestic competition was the rise of corporate teams such as Ernst & Young, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Maybank which do not have a steady fan following. Malaysia Hockey League is trying to change that by bringing in regional flavor. It fields teams from traditional hockey bastions such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, other areas, as well as from other places where it has got some fan following.
Founding
The competition was first played in 2000 involving 11 teams. Initiated by Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) with active support from sports channel ESPN Malaysia. The first season had two tiers division 1 and division 2 but from 2007 season onwards division 2 was scrapped. Except team winning 2006 division 2 championship rest all teams in division 2 were scrapped.
Competition
New format
The new Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) will see 10 teams vying for glory in the top division. Last year, only six teams competed in Division One and Division Two had nine teams. Under the new format, the elite teams will compete in the Premier Division while the rest will vie for a place in Division One. These two divisions are for the Open category.
Division Two and Division Three will be for the Under-19 age groups and will comprise teams from last year's Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL). Last year's top five Malaysia Hockey League teams — Ernst & Young HC, Sapura HC, Maybank HC, Tenaga Nasional Berhad HC and Nur Insafi HC — will be joined by Jurutera Jentera Letrik HC (JLJ) in the Premier Division.
The competitions committee will select another four teams, based on their strength, for the Premier Division. There are plans to enter the National Juniors (the 2013 Project Team) in the Premier Division. But a decision will be made once the format is approved by the Malaysian Hockey Federation's management committee.
The Division Two champions will have the right to gain promotion to Division One or they can choose to remain in the Under-19 category. The bottom two teams from the Premier Division]will be demoted while the top two from Division One will go up the following year. Division Two and Division Three will kick off in February 2009 while Division One is slated to start in May 2009. The Premier Division will run from October to December 2009.
Malaysia Junior Hockey League return
After 10 months of merging the Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL) with the senior Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had decided to separate them. The Malaysia Junior Hockey League thus return on the Malaysia Hockey Federation calendar next year, 2010 with the starting date set for 25 March. It will remain an Under-19 tournament.
Players
A team shall consist of a maximum of 18 (eighteen) players to be registered with the Malaysia Hockey Federation. All 18 players in a team have to be registered with the MHF and need to submit their identity cards before the start of the league qualifying for playing in a team. All Malaysian players currently employed have to be taken on lien for the duration of the league and then be registered with Malaysia Hockey Federation. All the foreign players must obtain International Transfer Certificates from their respective countries and or clubs before signing up with the team in Malaysia Hockey League and Malaysia Hockey Federation.
Import players
There are a number of players from countries other than Malaysia, who have been contracted to play in the league.
List of champions SeasonLeague champions(Number of titles)TNB Cup(Number of titles)1987RMN Dolphins (1)Kilat (1)1988UAB (1)Maybank (1)1989RMN Dolphins (2)Kilat (2)1990Kilat (1)Maybank (2)1991–92Kilat (2)Kilat (3)1992–93Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (1)MBf HC (1)1994Maybank (1)Maybank (3)1995Maybank (2)Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (1)1996Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (2)Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (2)1997MPPJ (1)MPPJ (1)1999Bank Simpanan Nasional (1)Bank Simpanan Nasional (1)2000–01Tenaga Nasional Berhad (3)Bank Simpanan Nasional (2)2002Tenaga Nasional Berhad (4)Bank Simpanan Nasional (3)2003Tenaga Nasional Berhad (5)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (4)2004Sapura (1)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (5)2005Sapura (2)Sapura (1)2006Ernst & Young (1)Sapura (2)2007Ernst & Young (2)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (6)2008Ernst & Young (3)Ernst & Young (1)2009–10KLHC (4)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (7)2010–11KLHC (5)KLHC (2)2011–12KLHC (6)KLHC (3)2012KLHC (7)KLHC (4)2013KLHC (8)KLHC (5) & TNB Thunderbolts (1)2014Terengganu (1)Terengganu (1)2015Terengganu (2)Terengganu (2)2016Terengganu (3)Terengganu (3)2017KLHC (9)Terengganu (4)2018Terengganu (4)UniKL (1)2019UniKL (1)Terengganu (5)2020UniKL (2)UniKL (2)2021UniKL (3)Terengganu (6)2022Terengganu (5)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (8)2023Terengganu (6)Terengganu(7)2024Tenaga Nasional Berhad (6)Tenaga Nasional Berhad (9)2025Terengganu (7)Terengganu(8)2026TBDTBD
Champions By club TeamLeague championshipsSeason(s) wonTNB CupsSeason(s) won KLHC 9 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012, 2013, 2017 5 2008, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012, 2013 Terengganu 7 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2025 8 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 Tenaga Nasional Berhad 6 1990, 1991–92, 2000–01, 2002, 2003, 2024 9 1987, 1989, 1991–92, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009–10, 2022, 2024 UniKL 3 2019, 2020, 2021 2 2018, 2020 Maybank 2 1994, 1995 3 1988, 1990, 1994 Yayasan Negeri Sembilan 2 1992–93, 1996 2 1995, 1996 Sapura 2 2004, 2005 2 2005, 2006 RMN Dolphins 2 1987, 1989 0 Bank Simpanan Nasional 1 1999 3 1999, 2000–01, 2002 MPPJ 1 1997 1 1997 UAB 1 1988 0 MBf HC 0 1 1992–93 TNB Thunderbolts 0 1 2013
Players
Top scorers
Season Players Clubs Goals 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Faizal Saari Tenaga Nasional Berhad HC20 2011-12 Faizal Saari Tenaga Nasional Berhad HC19 2010-11 Razie Rahim KLHC27 2009-10 Mohammad Amin Rahim Tenaga Nasional Berhad HC15 2008 Baljit Singh Sarjab Ernst & Young HC13 2007 Jiwa Mohan Sapura HC23 2006 Mohammad Amin Rahim Ernst & Young HC29 2005 Len Aiyappa Telekom Malaysia HC30 2004 Len Aiyappa Bank Simpanan Nasional HC37 2003 Len Aiyappahttp://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/hockey/item/23001-three-indians-to-feature-in-mhl-report Ernst & Young HC35 2002 2001 Mirnawan Nawawi Bank Simpanan Nasional HC19 2000 1999 Kuhan Shanmuganathan Bank Simpanan Nasional HC 1998 1997 Kuhan Shanmuganathan MPPJ HC 1996 Mirnawan Nawawi Yayasan Negeri Sembilan HC 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
Best player
Season Malaysia Hockey League Malaysia Junior Hockey League 2013 2012 2011-12 Azlan Misron ( KLHC) Firhan Ashaari ( BPSS-Thunderbolts) 2010-11 Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin ( KLHC) Firhan Ashaari ( BPSS-Thunderbolts) 2009-10 2008 2007 R. Nadesh ( BJSS) 2006 Jiwa Mohan ( Sapura HC) 2005 Kuhan Shanmuganathan ( Sapura HC) 2004 2003 2002 2001 Kumar Subramaniam ( Tenaga Nasional Berhad HC) 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 Mirnawan Nawawi ( Yayasan Negeri Sembilan) 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
Sponsor The Malaysia Hockey League become the popular league in Asia because the Malaysia Hockey League has been sponsored by the many big companies:
AirAsia Kappa F&N Grays Chilis
Prize money
The champions of the league will be given MYR 9,000,000 and also the league trophy which was made in 1987.
See also Malaysia Junior Hockey League Malaysian Hockey Federation Malaysia men's national field hockey team Malaysia women's national field hockey team
Notes
References
The Star May 5, 2007 The Star June 26, 2009
External links