*This story was originally published by Malaysia Hockey Confederation*

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) today announced the 20-player squad that will represent Malaysia at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, to be held in Wavre, Belgium, from 15 to 30 August.

Chairman of the National Team Management Committee, Dato’ Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak, believes the selected players is well-prepared to carry the nation's hopes and deliver their best performances on the world stage.

Despite being drawn into Pool B alongside three European powerhouses — two former world champions, Belgium and Germany, as well as the 2025–26 FIH Nations Cup champions, France — Dato’ Najmi remains confident that nothing is impossible for the Speedy Tigers.

"Our pool is filled with heavyweight teams. Even so, nothing is impossible. We recently witnessed several surprising results at the FIFA World Cup, proving that anything can happen.

"My message to the players is simple: keep working hard and trust the coaching staff. At the 2023 World Cup, we came very close to reaching the quarter-finals and were only denied in a shoot-out. That shows we are capable.

"The players must believe in themselves and have the desire to succeed. Do not be intimidated. Play our game, and we will always have a chance. My hope is to see the team reach the quarter-finals," he said.

Meanwhile, Speedy Tigers Head Coach Brendon Carolan refused to describe Pool B as a "group of death", instead viewing it as a valuable opportunity for his team to test themselves against the world's elite ahead of a much bigger objective.

Whether they like it or not, the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, scheduled from 19 September to 4 October, remains the Speedy Tigers' top priority, as winning the tournament would secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

"I wouldn't call this a group of death — I would call it a group of opportunity. It all depends on how we choose to view the situation because our primary target is the Asian Games.

"If we want to qualify for the Olympic Games, we must be capable of beating the world's top eight teams. That is the reality. So, we are taking this draw positively, especially with the Asian Games taking place in September," he said.

NO	NAMA	CAPS	POSITION
1	MUHAMMAD HAFIZUDDIN BIN OTHMAN	150	GOAL KEEPER
2	MUHAMAD ZAIMI BIN MAT DERIS	30
3	MUHAMMAD MARHAN BIN JALIL	356	DEFENDERS
4	SYED MOHAMMAD SYAFIQ BIN SYED CHOLAN	149
5	MUHAMAD AMINUDIN BIN MOHD ZAIN	35
6	MUHAMAD FARIS BIN HARIZAN	43
7	MUHAMMAD SHAFIQ BIN HASSAN	61
8	MUHAMMAD AMIRUL HAMIZAN BIN AZAHAR	86
9	MOHD FITRI BIN SAARI	228	MIDFIELDERS
10	NIK MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN NIK ROZEMI	197
11	FAIZ HELMI BIN JALI	273
12	NORSYAFIQ BIN SUMANTRI	149
13	MUHAJIR BIN ABDU RAUF	71
14	ANDYWALFIAN JEFFRYNUS	32
15	MUHAMMAD AZRAI AIZAD BIN ABU KAMAL	121	FOWARDS
16	MOHAMAD AKHIMULLAH BIN ANUAR ESOOK	68
17	SHELLO SILVERIUS	101
18	AZIMUDDIN SYAKIR BIN KAMARUDDIN	28
19	MOHAMAD ASHRAN BIN HAMSANI	91
20	FAIZAL BIN SAARI	322