KUALA LUMPUR: Sapura's "Mr. Versatile" Jiwa Mohan is confident his side are capable of upsetting the odds when they take on favourites Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the twoleg Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) semifinals this weekend.

Jiwa, who tied the knot last month, has been a busy man this season. He has been flying back and forth from Perth, where he lives, to assist Sapura's title ambitions. However, things have not been smooth-sailing for his team.

"Let me be honest...it has not been an easy ride. If you ask me, the overall preparation for the league itself wasn't up to mark because we just didn't have sufficient time. And for me, it has been even harder because not only I have to fly back and forth for all the games, but also because I have only trained with the team once this season," said Jiwa.

"All of us are trying definitely. The league is over, there's no use talking about it now. We set a target of reaching the last four. Now with that done, we want to achieve our second target - which is to qualify for the final by beating KLHC.

"The semifinal is always tricky. It is the stage where teams give their all and anything can happen. Trust me, I was at the receiving end the last time."

Five years ago, Jiwa helped steer Sapura to a 4-1 first leg victory over Tenaga Nasional (TNB). At that time, Sapura had the services of numerous prominent international stars like Keevan Raj, Maninderjit Singh, Logan Raj as well as South Koreans Kim Jung-chul and Song Seung-tae.

However, complacency crept in as TNB came back strongly in the second leg to send the former home with a 5-4 aggregate victory.

"Believe me, that was not nice. Hopefully, that defeat will inspire us this time and show that there's no invincible team in the MHL. Granted, KLHC finished the league unbeaten. But we have a fair shot.

"If we get past KLHC, then we'll have a very good chance of landing the title. I believe the fate is in our own hands," said Jiwa.