News for 13 April 2020
All the news for Monday 13 April 2020
Mirnawan's backhand shot etched in history
By Jugjet Singh
Mirnawan Nawawi.
The backhand or tomahawk shot, made famous by the Argentina hockey team, should be renamed as “The Boss.”
In a series of articles written about the Champions Trophy (1978 to 2018), Malaysian coach Roelant Oltmans remembers the first time he saw a low backhand goal.
It was recorded during the 1993 Kuala Lumpur edition, the only time Malaysia played in the six-team event.
Oltmans, who was then coaching the Netherlands, together with his Dutch players watched Malaysian forward Mirnawan Nawawi, known as The Boss, score with a low backhand shot.
“Mirnawan netted the first-ever low backhand goal in hockey history. It was witnessed during the 2-2 draw between Malaysia and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in 1993,” wrote Oltmans in an article in 2018.
Mirnawan, who retired with 250 goals in 327 international matches, also remembers it well.
“When we played on grass those days, it was a norm for every kid to try the high reverse stick to cross the ball from the left to the right of the field. Most players could do it with ease.
“But the low backhand shot was impossible to make on a bumpy grass pitch. I managed to score from a low backhand attempt on the Tun Razak Stadium artificial pitch in the Champions Trophy,
“And I scored it against Pakistan, who were ranked top four then, In fact, I scored both the goals in that famous 2-2 draw against the Green Giants,” remembers Mirnawan.
It was a great result against a Pakistan side, who went on to win their fourth World Cup the following year in Australia.
“We celebrated the draw in a big way because Pakistan were strong then.
“The Orange (Dutch) players, under Oltmans, were watching that game when I scored that goal.
“But the low backhand shot was not a common way to hit the goal until the 1990s. The wooden sticks could quickly go into the trash bins if you hit the backhand often.”
Describing how he had scored the miracle goal, Mirnawan said: “My marker Tahir Zaman was waiting for me to turn to my left, but when I turned right and hit a reverse stick shot, it caught him and goalkeeper off guard.
“It was a rare perfection with a wooden stick. However, it can be done easily with the top-of-the-range sticks now.
“I perfected the art during training. Our coach was Terry Walsh then and he kept telling us to hit the ball towards the goalmouth the moment we enter the semi-circle.
“And so, it became an instinct for many of us, like how the Australians play hockey nowadays. When the ball fell towards my right and my back was facing the goalmouth, instincts dug in and I attempted the low reverse,” said Mirnawan.
New Straits Times
Vintage Hockey Photos
Shipboard Hockey during World War II
Members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, playing hockey, France. This action photograph is believed to be the work of David McLellan. McLellan was one of five official war propaganda photographers to be commissioned for the Western Front. The first two were Ernest Brooks and John Warwick Brooke. This may have been a personal moment for both McLellan and the players, which has now been caught in time and survives for posterity.
The website URL is - https://www.vintage-everyday.com