RAJGIR: Malaysia’s Din Juliani has been playing international hockey for over 12 years. But the 38-year-old has no plans to stop anytime soon.
Having played her 200th match earlier this year, she wants to just carry on as long as possible. And to make sure she can do that, she not only has to work harder but also take extra care of herself.
“Whenever I eat, I have to be careful because it will affect my performance. Also, I have to do extra work so that I can compete with the young girls and give my best to the team. Moreover, they look up to me and I’m a role model to them so I have to remain disciplined,” said the captain of the Malaysia side.
It’s not difficult for her though.
“This is my body, so it is not difficult for me because I know what I need to take, what I don’t need to take, and what time to sleep. All this is very important because my performance depends on it,” added the oldest player at the tournament.
However, Juliani admitted that her age makes it challenging, but she gets the motivation to keep going from her coaches. “My coaches and the officials trust me. They help me stay positive. Also, I must grow and keep learning,” she added.
Interestingly, Juliani also served in the army for 12 years from the age of 20 to 32 as a sergeant. “I used to go to the office in the morning and then train in the evening. It was tough and I made a lot of sacrifices, but you know hockey is part of my life. I have to stay away from my family also for long periods, but I cannot live without hockey,” said Juliani.
While she hasn’t set any target for herself at the moment, she wants to lead Malaysia to the semifinals of the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy.
They were close to securing a spot in the last-four stage on Saturday itself as they took a lead against Japan when Mohd Nur scored the opener in the 26th minute. But the world No. 11 side scored two quick goals in the final quarter to break the hearts of the Malaysian players. Shiho Kobayakawa scored in the 49th minute to equalise while Miyu Hasegawa scored the winner in the 51st minute after Japan won a penalty corner.
However, with still a match to go against Thailand in the group stage on Sunday, Malaysia have a good chance to make the knockouts. They are currently fifth on the table and are just a point behind South Korea, who are fourth with four points.
