KUALA LUMPUR: National men's hockey team captain Marhan Jalil said he and his men gave their best though Malaysia finished last in the recent Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) competition in Hulunbuir, Mongolia.
Obviously, the 'best' in this case is not good enough as angry fans question the commitment of the national players.
When asked at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today whether the Malaysia team were committed, Marhan replied in the affirmative.
World No. 13 Malaysia were the second highest ranked team in the ACT after world No. 5 India, but Marhan's men finished last with just one win in six matches.
Even China, Pakistan, South Korea and Japan did better.
"I never expected our team to get such bad results. We have to train much harder and do a lot more homework," said Marhan.
On the talks by fans that the team were not committed, Marhan said: "No ... all the players gave their full commitment.
"None of my teammates took it easy in the tournament, but we need to be more consistent in matches.
"There are so many factors that we need to focus on, especially the defence as we gave away soft goals, and also our penalty corner defence and attack need to improve."
Marhan, 34, defended his teammates, especially the newcomers.
"You cannot expect a new player to play as well like me in the tournament. Some players need more time."