Who Is Naaveenesh Panicker? The Indo-Malaysian forward at the Junior Hockey World Cup 2025

The chronicles of Malaysian field hockey have always featured a strong presence of Indian-origin stars. The golden generation of the country, which finished fourth in the 1975 home World Cup, included legends like K. Balasingam, S. Balasingam and captain Sri Shanmuganathan.

However, since goalkeeper Kumar Subramaniam retired in 2020 after a storied 20-year career and joined Malaysia senior men’s team head coach Sarjit Singh Kundan’s coaching staff, no player of Indian descent has been able to break into the setup.

Nineteen-year-old Naaveenesh Panicker hopes to fill that void. The attacker was among the national team probables ahead of the 2024 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup and is currently part of the junior side at the Junior World Cup 2025 in Chennai and Madurai.

“We need more Indian players coming into the Malaysian team. There aren’t enough people making it despite the population. The younger generations are coming up, and hopefully they will be here in a few years,” the forward told Sportstar.

The attacker (No. 28) was among the national team probables ahead of the 2024 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup and is currently part of the junior side at the Junior World Cup 2025.
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Special Arrangement

Naaveenesh’s paternal grandfather travelled from Kerala to the Golden Peninsula in search of a better livelihood. His mother’s family hails from Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. His father was a club-level footballer in Malaysia, while his mother was a sprinter. It was always clear that sport would play a major role in the youngster’s upbringing.

The love for hockey, however, came from his elder brother Kavinash, who played in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL). Naaveenesh, too, was drafted into the national setup after a breakout season for TNB Thunderbolts in the MHL last year.

The 19-year-old made the perfect start to the Junior World Cup, scoring a goal in Malaysia’s 5–1 win over Austria. But two consecutive losses to higher-ranked opponents, the Netherlands and England, dashed the side’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals. The team has since shifted base to Chennai, where it will play the 9th–16th playoff matches.

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Naaveenesh will feel a sense of deja vu at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in the capital. He was part of the Malaysian junior team invited to the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup 2025, which helped the boys acclimatise to the conditions. “Not the monsoon, though,” the forward quipped.

The competition allowed the Speedy Tigers to test themselves against teams from across the country, including various State federations and PSUs.

“Sometimes, it’s not all about the hockey. Playing in Chennai is a totally different feeling from playing in Malaysia. Playing against ex-internationals, national team players and Olympians will give us good experience and exposure,” he had said in July.

The classification rounds will give the 11th-ranked Malaysians a chance to show what they are capable of. For Naaveenesh, it is another step toward becoming a visible pathway for the next generation of Indo-Malaysian players.

Published on Dec 04, 2025