News for 14 April 2020
All the news for Tuesday 14 April 2020
Hockey India postpones all national championships indefinitely
These tournaments were rescheduled to start on April 29 and continue till July 3 but have been suspended for now following the extension of the national lockdown.
Hockey India (HI) on Tuesday postponed all its rescheduled national championships indefinitely after the national lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic was extended till May 3.
These tournaments were rescheduled to start on April 29 and continue till July 3 but have been suspended for now.
“Hockey India has taken a decision to postpone the remaining annual 2020 Hockey India National Championships keeping in mind the well-being of all our stakeholders including the players, coaches, organisers, fans and officials,” said Hockey India president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad.
“These tournaments have been postponed indefinitely and we will announce new dates basis the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in India.”
Ahmad said HI is working with the relevant central and state departments to ensure that all necessary precautions are duly taken to maintain public health.
He also said the participating member units must use this period to continue to update the member unit portal with player details “to use this time effectively”.
List of events postponed indefinitely:
- 10th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2020, Ranchi, Jharkhand (B & A Division) earlier scheduled from April 29 to May 9 and May 7 to May 17 respectively.
- 10th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2020, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (B & A Division) earlier scheduled from May 14 to May 21 and May 19 to May 30 respectively.
- 10th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2020, Hisar, Haryana (B & A Division) earlier scheduled from May 3 to May 14 and May 12 to May 23 respectively.
- 10th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2020, Imphal, Manipur (B & A Division) earlier scheduled from May 28 to June 4 and June 3 to June 13 respectively.
- 10th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2020, Guwahati, Assam (B Division) earlier scheduled from June 20 to July 3.
Indian women's hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne turns author in lockdown
Indian women's hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne has put his leisure time during lockdown to good use by writing about his experiences in India.
Postponing the Tokyo Olympics is best decision in the current situation, feels Indian women's hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne - SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Miles away from family amid a global health crisis, the Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne is keeping anxiety at bay by focussing on writing a book on his India experience during the coronavirus lockdown.
The 45-year-old Dutchman, admitted that it is tough to be away from his wife and three children during the difficult time.
“Like everyone else, I have my difficult moments, not being with my family. I try to keep myself as busy as possible. I am writing a book in the free time I have,” Marijne told PTI in an interview from SAI Centre in Bengaluru.
“I have been in India for three and half years and many interesting stuff happened which can be very helpful for coaches and in business life,” he said.
Marijne was on his way to the Netherlands just before the national lockdown but changed his mind considering the well-being of his family and his team.
“I take it day-by-day and don’t look too much ahead. My family is doing well back home and handled the situation very well. A big admiration for my wife about how she is doing this. Not easy always with the children back home and no social life anymore. Without her (support), I couldn’t be here,” he said.
“It was tough (decision) but I also have a responsibility towards the team and India.
“When I decided to stay back, we were still able to do full training as nation-wide lockdown had not been announced. It’s good the entire core group is together so we can do other things to make this period productive.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping all sporting events shut and the Indian women’s hockey side stuck in Bengaluru, Marijne is utilising the time to work on team bonding.
“I want to make sure that this time we have, is spent usefully so that once this is all over, we can look back at this period as a productive time spent,” he said.
Marijne said he knows he is not the only one going through hard times.
“The girls are also living by the day and do miss their families but they are also thinking of the future. They do a lot of workouts everyday to stay as fit as possible.
“They have also been given tasks like analysing all the opponent countries and make a presentation to us (support staff). We also watch motivational movies like Mary Kom and Dangal,” he said.
“Some girls are learning English by themselves and we have individual video meetings with the players. We try to use the time as productively as possible,” added Marijne, who had previously coached the Indian men’s team.
The Tokyo Olympics being pushed to 2021 because of the global pandemic will help his team’s cause, Marijne said.
“It was the best decision as you can read that the number of cases in Japan is also going up,” he added.
“Every country will have one year extra to train, we have a young group so that can be benefit for us.”
Talking about his plan after the lockdown ends, he said: “We will have a break and then will start with camps because the situation will not be that we can start immediately with tours.”
Sportstar
From rough diamond to hockey star: The rise of Victor Wegnez
Hockey needs characters for the sport to thrive, says Belgium coach
By The Hockey Paper
Hockey is ‘too tame’ and Belgium’s Victor Wegnez could be just the individual character needed to make the sport roar, Red Lions coach Shane McLeod told The Hockey Paper after the home nation won last summer’s EuroHockey title.
Wegnez sent Belgium to the final with a standout performance in one of the sport’s greatest matches against Germany before being awarded player of the tournament as the Red Lions won their first European title.
McLeod told THP: “He’s a special kid. Every group has their players who add flavour but this guy is full of everything. He’s so energetic and is really good for our game. People come to watch him play and react when he reacts.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve and people love that.”
With the team element in hockey, McLeod believes that hockey needs more characters like the Racing Club de Bruxelles midfielder to raise the profile of the sport.
The Kiwi said: “They’re never heard. You don’t want your whole team full of them as you will get volatile and it will be hard to do a team talk. But this guy lives and breathes hockey and he would run through a brick wall for you and not think twice about it.
“Our sport is a bit too tame in that regard. Victor has such a large character that people love to watch him. And it’s done in a really positive way. He’s always deflecting the praise on to other people.
“He’s a real character and people love the way he loves the game. And that’s attractive for people in any sport.”
Belgium’s EuroHockey win was their second major title in eight months after landing the World Cup for the first time. Now, their mission is to win the Olympics after finishing with silver at Rio 2016.
Wegnez, 24, is one of the few Belgian players to force their way into McLeod’s star-studded side, many of whom have played together since successful junior days. And McLeod believes he had the right attributes from when McLeod first saw him and picked Wegnez before the Rio Games.
He added: “It’s a nice human story. He was a bit of a rough diamond. He’s just worked so hard at his game and you see he has become a world class player – speed, power, can score goals when needed and he loves the pressure. As the pressure grows he grows.
“He is genuine. Being in our environment is quite demanding. We have senior players who have come in with over 300 caps and you come in and can’t muck around. He’s always been a good trainer but everything you put in front of him he climbs over.”
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The Hockey Paper
KLHA's grand plans come to a screeching halt
By Jugjet Singh
KLHA president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman (left) watches a Hockademy training session on Nov 9, 2019 at the Bukit Jalil Hockey Stadium.
DATUK Seri Megat D. Shahriman arrived for the Kuala Lumpur HA (KLHA) elections in a Lotus, and his team made a clean sweep, even steering past their long serving secretary.
V. Rajamanickam, the KLHA secretary for 26 years, made a U-turn on his nomination a few minutes before elections when he saw that Megat and his team had more than enough ground support.
That was back in June, and inside a year, Megat has been trying to transform KLHA faster than his green Lotus can speed from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour.
Everything was going well for him, until his plans came to a screeching stop when Covid-19 appeared and turned the world upside down.
“I have many plans for KLHA, and since it is the centre where former, as well as present national players, ply their trade, it would not be too difficult to expand further,” said Megat after winning the presidency by beating incumbent Datuk Abu Huraira Yazid 21-11.
And he has brought many changes, starting with fielding two teams in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The women’s HockAdemy team won the League and were silver medallists in the Vivian May Soars Cup.
The HockAdemy men finished sixth among eight teams in the league.
Not one to sit idle, Megat went to Italy with former national player S. Selvaraju and started paperwork to open a HockAdemy branch there.
This has never been done by any Malaysian hockey club before, and the plan was that the Tuscany-based club would play in the Italian Division Three.
Hockademy-Marliana almost became a reality and the launch was supposed to be in April, but Italy as well as Malaysia are now under movement restrictions, and it looks like the plans will be shelved for this year — at least.
“It was supposed to be a destination point for our players to step into bigger things in Europe,” Megat had said.
The 2019-2020 Italian League was supposed to end in May and their next season to start in September, but everything has come to a standstill in Italy due to Covid-19.
HockAdemy, in a tie-up with TGCC PLT (a registered training provider and Approved Centre for British Qualifications Endorsement), were to provide opportunities for 40 of their players to get diplomas or degrees by being active in sports without the need to be present in classroom.
But this, too, was halted by Covid-19.
When the virus is contained, expect Megat’s HockAdemy to come back with a vengeance with their plans.
New Straits Times
Syed not on the sidelines as he sticks to busy schedule
By T. AVINESHWARAN
Staying on the ball: National hockey fullback Syed Syafiq Syed Mohd Cholan training at his home in Ulu Kinta, Ipoh.
PETALING JAYA: National hockey player Syed Syafiq Syed Mohd Cholan is keeping himself busy at home with his family during the movement control order (MCO).
He is juggling hockey, studies and cooking – but doing a fine job handling all three.
With his hockey stick, the fullback dribbles around his house compound in Ulu Kinta, Ipoh, with his siblings. Then, he helps his mother in the kitchen before burying himself in books as he tries to finish his dissertation.
“I’m trying to revise and complete my thesis. I’m in my final year, ” said the Human Development degree student at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
“I communicate with my lecturers regularly. It’s good that I can spend more time on my studies now.”
But his top priority is still hockey.
“Hockey is my first love. I play with my siblings at home, but I also follow the programmes set by the national team coaches too, ” said Syed Syafiq.
The Tenaga Nasional player reports his progress to the coaches via a WhatsApp chat group.
“We concentrate on our physique and fitness exercises. Fitness requires you to do lots of running, but I can’t do it at my home due to the limited space.
“I focus on exercises that increase my heart rate.
“Every day, we share our reports in the WhatsApp group. We also have tactical discussions.
“Right now, we need to keep ourselves focused as the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup could be in September, so the energy levels must be there.”
Syed Syafiq said some of the young talents in the team are supremely talented but not mature enough in decision making during matches and are unfit.
However, he feels that they would get better when they play in more competitive matches.
“It’s a good move to have many youngsters in the centralised squad, we have to train these boys for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.”
Syed Syafiq reminded Malaysians to keep themselves calm at home during this testing time.
“I urge everyone to remain patient and strong. This is the best time to be with our loved ones. Staying at home is better than staying at the hospital. Stay safe, healthy and fit.”
The Star of Malaysia
Sikh Galore at Munich 1972 Olympic Games
by Dil Bahra
The eleven days of the Munich Games were perhaps the greatest Olympic festival ever. However, on the morning of 5 September, the Games were interrupted when eight Arab terrorists, representing the militant group “Black September” entered the Olympic Village, took hostages and then killed eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team – all this only 20 km from Dachau.
The Olympic Games were suspended for 34 hours and a mass was held in the main stadium to commemorate the victims. The flags of all the countries were flown at half-mast. But the Games continued at the insistence of the IOC President, Avery Brundage, who famously said “The Games must go on”
Sadly the Munich Games of 1972 will always be remembered for the wrong reasons.
At these Games, thirty Sikhs representing India, Kenya, Malaysia and Uganda played in the hockey tournament.
India had previously participated in all the Olympic Games from Amsterdam 1928. Kenya and Malaysia started participating from Melbourne 1956 onward.
But for Uganda, this was their one and only appearance at hockey at Olympic Games. Their team had nine Sikh players in their squad. Uganda went to these Games at a great disadvantage. They were virtual novices on the world stage. Three draws, one against the eventual champions Germany were great results and they did finish with their solo Olympic victory against Mexico.
The political climate in Uganda shortly after the Olympic Games meant that all the Asian players had to leave the country on their return.
The full squads of the four nations are listed on my website.
Sikhs in Hockey
Happy Vaisakhi to all our Sikh readers