National women’s hockey forward Hanis Nadiah Onn said the squad must stay focused despite the news that their coach K. Dharmaraj will not be around to guide them.

Dharmaraj bid adieu to the Malaysian Tigress after he made the decision not to reapply for the post.

According to Hanis, Dharmaraj was an important figure in improving the performance of the squad, and under his leadership, she emerged as the country’s first female player to be named as Asia’s Most Promising Player in 2016.

“For me, it was not only the knowledge that was shared but the words of encouragement from him that will always remain with the team,” said Hanis.

“The fight must continue, regardless of who will take over as coach, and all players need to remain united and take the Tigress to the next level.

“It is sad that he (Dharmaraj) has made the decision to leave but I am proud that he has taken us to the highest level. Some of us have had the opportunity to play in the European League which is the dream of every player,” she added.

Penalty expert Nuraini Abd Rashid concurred with Hanis adding that her teammates must remain committed to all of MHC’s plans.

Among Dharmaraj’s notable achievements with the team was winning the gold medal at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and emerging as runners-up in the second round of the Women’s Hockey World League (WHWL).

He also took them to fifth place at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

In December, the MHC announced that they would not be extending the contracts of all coaches under the national governing body, except that of national men’s coach Roelant Oltman, in an effort to inject new breath into the national hockey structure.