Tenaga’s Amin: Overall title is more important than winning top scorer award

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: National defender Mohd Amin Rahim and national forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin are in the running for the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) top scorer award.

The 30-year-old Amin, who plays for Tenaga Nasional, is the leading scorer on 14 goals, all from the penalty corner. Tengku Ahmad of the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) is one goal behind on the list.

Amin is in line to win the award for a second time. He was the top scorer for Ernst and Young with 30 goals in 2006. The following year, he joined Tenaga and they emerge as the overall champions by defeating Ernst and Young in the final.

Tenaga will play against Sapura for the overall title at the Tun Razak Stadium tomorrow. And KLHC will take on Maybank in the playoff for third place at the same venue.

Close encounter: KLHC’s Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (right) and Tenaga’s Mohd Amin Rahim tussle for the ball during their Premier Division league match. The duo are in the running for the MHL top scorer award.

Amin said that winning the top scorer award was a secondary matter.

“What is most important to me is to help Tenaga win the overall title. We failed to become the league (Premier Division) champions and we definitely will go all out to win the overall title,” he said.

He added that the pressure would be on them to win the title, especially after having beaten Sapura twice in the league competition.

“Sapura are all fired up following the victory over Premier Division champions KLHC in the semi-finals.

It will be 50-50 chances as Sapura have some very experience players,” said Amin, who has scored six goals in the knockout stage.

He scored four goals in the quarter-final tie against Division One champions UiTM – a brace in both the first and second leg matches. In the semi-finals against Mayback, Amin scored a goal in both legs.

Amin said that Tenaga would again bank on him to deliver the goods in the final.

“I have a heavy responsibility, not only to marshal the defence but also to convert the penalty corners,” he said.

The 24-year-old Tengku Ahmad said that he would be out to get the goals to help KLHC win the playoff for third place.

“We have so many national players in the team and it is a big disappointment that we are not featuring in the final. I hope I will find some consolation by winning a first top scorer award,” said Tengku Ahmad, who made his debut in the MHL in 2006.