Faizal Saari


Faizal bin Saari is a Malaysian field hockey player. Currently playing as a striker for Terengganu Hockey Team.

Career

Club

Faizal start his Malaysia Hockey League career with Terengganu Hockey Team. He was the 2011 league top goalscorer with 19 goals.
In June 2011, Faizal start his overseas career along with another Malaysian Sukri Mutalib. They were selected by the Southern Hotshots team for the Australian Hockey League. He represent Southern Hotshots in the ten matches league He scored three goals in five matches for Southern Hotshots. He also played in the Adelaide League and made seven strikes for Forestville Hockey Club in three appearances.
In 2012, he return to Tenaga Nasional Berhad Hockey Club and earn the top goalscorer award with 20 goals. While playing for Tenaga Nasional Berhad, he receive an offer to play in the Spanish Division One for Atlètic Terrassa Hockey Club.
After the 2012 season ended, Faizal was bought over by Mumbai Magicians for US$26,000 in an auction to feature in the Hockey India League. He is the highest paid hockey player in Malaysia, followed by Kumar Subramaniam who featured for Uttar Pradesh Wizards after being bought over for US$15,000. However he has a miserable outing in the HIL firing blanks in all 12 matches.

International

Faizal made his national senior team debut in the Champions Challenge II in Dublin in 2009 at age of 18. He was the members of the Malaysian squad that won the silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games. He also part of Malaysia youth team that won the 2012 Asian Hockey Youth Cup. He scored one of the two goals in the final against Pakistan.
Faizal was the leading goal scorer at the 2018 Asian Men's Hockey Champions Trophy where he finished with 8 goals. Malaysia finished at the 3rd place after defeating Japan 3-2 in the penalty shootouts in the bronze medal match.