News for 15 June 2020
All the news for Monday 15 June 2020
Excitement builds ahead of hockey’s return in New Zealand
Photo credit: Hockey New Zealand / BW Media
The return to hockey activity is being carefully trialled and monitored across the globe as the tight grip of COVID-19 on sporting activities is gradually relaxing. In the latest of our Play Hockey Stay Healthy feature stories, Ken Maplesden, the Community Hockey and Events General Manager of Hockey New Zealand, tells us about recent developments.
Hi Ken, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. The COVID-19 global health pandemic has had a huge impact on all aspects of life, with the inability to play sports such as hockey being just one of many things affected in this crisis. However, in some countries, like New Zealand, Hockey is slowly returning! Please tell us what stage you are at regarding the return to action, and how things are coming together.
Ken Maplesden: “The timing of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on hockey as it struck right at the start of our winter season and has therefore delayed its start. However, we are super excited and, given the strong response to COVID-19 in New Zealand, our country is starting to open up. For hockey this means people have been able to get back out on the turf over the last couple of weeks with many competitions starting over the next two weekends. Our return to hockey has gone well so far, however, it has been a significant amount of work for our associations to adapt their delivery of the sport to meet the raft of measures needed to combat COVID-19.”
After a long period of lockdown, there must be a real sense of excitement about the return to action. What has been the reaction from the hockey community in New Zealand?
Ken Maplesden: “Yes everyone is very excited about being able to get back out on the turf. The reaction from our community has been really positive with everyone being very understanding of balancing the need for a cautious approach to returning with wanting to get back to the sport we love and, most importantly, seeing our friends!”
Are there any special measures in place with the return regarding social distancing? What is currently allowed in terms of training and interaction, at both the performance and community level?
Ken Maplesden: “At this stage there are three key considerations for us in getting back to hockey. Our facilities must have good contact tracing practices in place. We must ensure we have excellent hygiene and cleaning practices in place to keep our people safe and lastly, we can only have groups of 100 people therefore limiting spectators etc. In addition to this, there are a raft of considerations for our facilities with cafés and bars. Excitingly there is the potential for some of these restrictions to ease further in the next week or so, which will be great for hockey.”
Everyone recognises the devastating impact that the coronavirus has had on the world. However, sport often proves to be a powerful and positive force during difficult times. How important is the return of our sport to the hockey family in New Zealand?
Ken Maplesden: “The return of sport is very important to us and the COVID-19 crisis has really emphasised the importance of community sport and being able to be with your friends and family while being involved in our great game. We are excited that hockey is starting to happen again across the country and look forward to connecting with our people face to face again.”
The return of hockey in New Zealand is taking a three-phase approach: ‘get ready to train’, ‘prepare to play’, and ‘return to play’. To read more about this strategy, click here.
To read about some of the rule changes being introduced by Hockey New Zealand to optimise participant and community safety ahead of the re-start, click here.
#PlayHockeyStayHealthy
FIH site
Hockey Pro League restart likely by October end
National teams of India, Australia, Netherlands and some European countries have resumed training though no domestic games have been played.
B Shrikant
File image of Indian Hockey Team in action.(Hockey India)
Sports is gradually lifting the shutters downed due to the Covid-19 pandemic with football, tennis, golf, rugby and cricket taking early steps towards a full schedule. Hockey though is likely to wait for at least another three months. FIH Pro League, suspended in mid-March, could return only in October at the earliest if things improve, according to the international hockey federation (FIH).
National teams of India, Australia, Netherlands and some European countries have resumed training though no domestic games have been played. “Though it will depend on the evolution of the pandemic globally, we are hopeful of restarting the Pro League towards the end of Q3 (October) or Q4 (December),” FIH CEO Thierry Weil said in an email interaction.
The world body has already extended the 2020 season till June 2021 and teams have only resumed outdoor training. FIH wants some normalcy to return, which will be indicated by a vaccine being available and trouble-free international travel.
“The guidelines we published last month refer several times that any resumption of hockey should comply with local laws and policies,” Weil said. “Therefore, resumption of hockey at country level will not be decided by FIH but by relevant local bodies.”
FIH guidelines to continental and national bodies, and clubs, say “Each organisation should monitor changes to such legislation and policies and amend their own policies as required to ensure the hockey community in their area is applying best practice and complying with local requirements.”
Any call on playing matches in closed stadiums will be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with national associations, he said.
International cricket will resume on July 8 when England host West Indies in the first match of a three-Test series at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton. There have been no matches in India since the nation went into a nationwide lockdown on March 25. Restrictions are being lifted though the virus spread continues.
Hindustan Times
Tokyo dreams: Reid between the lines
Indian Hockey coach believes in aggressive play
By Madhumita Ganguly
Indian Hockey coach Graham Reid Telegraph picture
Calcutta: Overcoming on-field tackles is challenging, but dribbling past the monotony of lockdown-enforced inaction to keep the players fit and mentally motivated is perhaps a tougher job. Graham Reid, chief coach of the India’s men’s hockey team, thinks so.
“Yes, it has been a very difficult time for the players over the last couple of months,” Reid told The Telegraph.
“Perhaps one thing that lightened the load somewhat was knowing that we are not the only ones facing these issues. It has been a grounding experience to understand that there are lots of people in much worse situations than us.
“Things like online quizzes, one-on-one player meetings to discuss progress and objectives, sharing individual stories through videos on how we all got where we have and, of course, like all millennials, video games helped keep the boys involved,” Reid added.
After a two-month hiatus, the men’s and women’s national hockey teams have resumed outdoor training at the Sports Authority of India, Bangalore campus, from June 1. But now comes the difficult part, which is to temper their comeback so that they don’t get injured.
The team’s focus is understandably on the Olympics. Talking about India’s prospect in Japan next year, Reid, who has played for Australia in two Olympics, one World Cup and nine Champions Trophies, said: “One of the things people have to understand is that winning the Olympic Games is really tough. Every team in the world co-ordinates their programs and associated budgets to time their run for the Games.
“Internally, we are focused on the little things that we all need to do to be good at. Each player has a plan they have to work on to improve over this next period. As a group we have a game plan that we will continue to develop so that when we arrive in Japan, all our boys will be conversant with our way of play.
“We have studied our opposition teams and will continue to do so during this next 12 months as they also change and develop,” Reid continued. “If we focus on these things then, as the cliche says, the result will speak for itself.”
The 56-year-old Australian has completed one year as India coach in April. It is said, with his advent the team’s strategy changed from a defensive to an aggressive one.
“One of the positive things about Indian hockey over the last 10 years has been the influence of all the great coaches that this team and Hockey India League has had during this time. The European coaches brought a focus on defensive strategies and I think you can say the Australian-Indian coaches have re-introduced an aggressive Anglo-Indian touch in this team.
“I like to think all I have done is to increase that focus on playing attacking hockey with the ball and aggressive pressure off the ball.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the last year with the group. But if we are to achieve our ambitions, this is only just a start,” concluded Reid.
The Telegraph, India
Hockey Australia releases inclusion position statement
Fittingly during Pride Month, Hockey Australia (HA) has reaffirmed its standing and reputation as one of the country’s most inclusive sports with the publication of an inclusion position statement.
The Hockey Australia Board endorsed the statement which was developed with the support of Pride in Sport, Australia’s first and only sporting inclusion program specifically designed to assist National and State sporting organisations and clubs with the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) employees, players, volunteers and spectators.
Hockey Australia’s inclusion position statement can be found here.
Proud of hockey’s stance on inclusion, Hockey Australia CEO Matt Favier says there is a determination to continue making inroads in this area.
“Pride Month is an ideal time to promote our partnership with Pride in Sport and reinforce inclusion and why it is one of Hockey Australia’s core values,” said Favier.
“A visible inclusion position statement that clearly spells out our commitment of hockey being a game for everyone is an important step in making Hockey Australia more inclusive.”
“We look forward to finalising and releasing our Inclusion Policy in the near future.”
Further to publicly emphasising an importance on inclusion, HA intends to increase its standing in the Pride of Sport Index™, a benchmarking instrument specifically designed to assess the inclusion of LGBTI people within Australian sporting organisations.
According to research released by Out on the Fields, 80% of participants have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, while sport is also considered hostile and unwelcoming to young people with diverse sexualities and genders. These findings are something Hockey Australia is resolute in eradicating from hockey and society more broadly.
“Hockey Australia is showing the community that they care about the health and wellbeing of their players and members through their connection with Pride in Sport,” said Pride in Sport National Program Manager, Beau Newell.
“LGBTQ inclusion is essential and critical work that all sporting organisations must be doing because we are all diverse by default. By not focusing on and/or boosting diversity and inclusion work, sporting organisations are saying that their members, volunteers, supporters and indeed its workforce are not essential.”
As part of this ongoing ambition, HA has dedicated to holding staff training and education on LGBTQ Awareness to be delivered by Pride in Sport.
Pride Month is held in June each year to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States which is recognised across the world. #Pride2020
For more information about Pride in Sport visit www.prideinsport.com.au
Hockey Australia media release
Services to assist with return to hockey
Hockey Australia has initiated and adopted a host of tools and elements as part of the progress towards a return to play.
The following are designed to help guide and assist clubs and associations in the various aspects of returning to the pitch in a COVID-19 safe environment.
SKOOP return to hockey packs
Return to play guidelines are complex and difficult to interpret. To assist, SKOOP has developed ‘return to play’ packs that ensure associations/clubs can return safely and comply with all government and hockey guidelines.
“Any support helping clubs and associations get hockey back running in a COVID-safe manner is welcomed,” said Hockey Australia GM- Legal Strategy & Growth, Michael Johnston.
“As a long-term partner of Hockey Australia, SKOOP have put a great bundle of products together that can help create those safe environments in line with our Return to Hockey guidelines.”
For more details and to view the entire SKOOP product range, visit returntohockey.com.au/
Rosterfy Electronic Attendance Tracker
Hockey Australia has recently formed a partnership with Rosterfy, a cloud based, highly secure software platform enabling organisations and clubs to manage their own people and teams.
Rosterfy’s attendance tracking and reporting software eliminates manual data entry and tedious information gathering, with the three key areas including:
1 Reliable Attendance Tracking
2 Secure Reporting Platform
3 Simple Data Recording
The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos have started to use Rosterfy’s electronic attendance system as it enables a better and ‘hands-off’ way to monitor and schedule various information such as training attendance that was previously handled by more people through a more manual process.
“The reasons and benefits of implementing Rosterfy’s electronic system into the training program of our national squads, particularly at this time, is based on safety and convenience,” said Hockey Australia High Performance Director Toni Cumpston.
“Using an electronic system to log this information takes away any risk around our athletes and staff touching the same pens and documentation, while it also provides a simpler more convenient way to monitor and keep track of attendance and other details.”
“COVID-19 is obviously changing the way we do a lot of things and this is one of those instances.”
As part of Hockey Australia’s partnership, Rosterfy is offering special deals for local hockey clubs. To learn more about how Rosterfy can work for your club, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit https://rosterfy.com/attendance-tracker/
Return to Hockey Webinar
For any club administrators or interested hockey people who missed it, a webinar hosted by Hockey Australia GM – Legal, Strategy & Growth, Michael Johnston and experienced sport executive Iain Roy is available to watch.
The webinar was set up for club administrators with the objective of providing information and assistance on the following:
- Understanding the current Return to Hockey Guidelines
- How to best use the resources on the COVID Safety Resource Hub
- Address common questions around resuming hockey safely in a COVID-19 environment
“We had a great turnout to our webinar, and the feedback was really positive,” said Johnston.
“We’ve also followed up on some of the questions, including the need to develop some specific guidance and a checklist for the officiating community. Off the back of this, we are working in partnership with Hockey NSW to develop this help for our officials, which we will be releasing over the next week.”
Officiating Checklist
Hockey Australia is currently developing a comprehensive checklist for umpires and officials which will be released soon.
For further information and any specific enquiries on the return to hockey, please contact your local club, association or state/territory member association.
Links to each State/Territory Member Association and more information
Hockey ACT
Hockey NSW
Hockey NT
Hockey Queensland
Hockey SA
Hockey Tasmania
Hockey Victoria
Hockey WA
Hockey Australia media release
Grange confirmed EHL Men for 2020/21 as Scotland calls time on season
Grange are set to be Scotland’s EHL Men’s representative for the 2020/21 season following Scottish Hockey’s decision to formally complete their 2019/20 Premiership season.
In a statement on Friday, Scottish Hockey’s Management Committee “considered all options to complete the 2019/20 season in full on the pitch, as well as partial completion of the season, in detail, and reached the unanimous decision, endorsed by the Scottish Hockey Board, that it is sadly now not possible to complete all the remaining fixtures on the pitch.”
No formal league winners were awarded and no automatic promotion or relegation will take place as a result.
However, the final league rankings for the 2019/20 season “were determined using average points per match, based on the matches completed prior to competitions being suspended”.
Based on these rankings, Grange were top of the men’s table with an average of 2.82 points per game. It had them well clear of second placed Western Wildcats, Edinburgh University and Grove Menzieshill who all had 2 points per game.
This will be Grange’s sixth time in the Euro Hockey League having contested the inaugural edition in the 2007-08 season as well as playing in ROUND1 in 2012 and 2018 in Barcelona, 2015 in Hamburg as well as the 2019 KO16 in Barcelona.
Western were given the second Scottish Euro spot – in the EuroHockey Trophy – by virtue of the best goal difference from that trio.
On the women’s side, both Clydesdale Western and Edinburgh University finished on a points average of 2.45. The former were deemed to be the top Scottish seed in a European context by virtue of a better goal difference.
However, in practical terms, both will play in the Women’s EuroHockey Challenge 1 in 2021.
Euro Hockey League media release
‘No black role models didn’t discourage me from playing hockey’
By Cassie Worth
Darcy Bourne is set to continue her hockey in the US PIC: Duke University
Darcy Bourne, the England under-21 player who went viral last week following an image shared by thousands at a Black Lives Matters protest, says having no black role models in hockey has inspired her to go futher in the sport.
An image of Bourne, taken outside the US Embassy last weekend, was shared by the son of Martin Luther King, as well as the likes of British sport duo Lewis Hamilton and Dina Asher-Smith.
Bourne began playing club hockey for Surbiton under-11s in 2012 and the midfielder is set to attend Duke University, North Carolina.
“In tennis and athletics there are more ethnically diverse role models out there,” she told BBC London. “I looked up to the Williams Sisters and Asher-Smith in athletics.
“There aren’t any female role models who are black [in hockey]. As a young person you do look up to people who look similar to you. It didn’t discourage me from wanting to play hockey. I was always accepted and never had any discrimination or had any racist acts against me in the hockey community. If anything, having a lack of black role models has inspired me to go further.”
Bourne hopes to take up the mantle as a role model to offer the next generation, one that she didn’t have when starting out in hockey.
Asked if there was now pressure to succeed on the pitch and to speak out when necessary, Bourne said: “Now I have the platform of the image going viral. Beforehand, you don’t think about your colour. You are thinking about your team and the sport. This time has raised the issue and now there is a bit of added pressure.”
Last week, Sporting Equals, the UK’s leading charity for racial equality and diversity in sport, said that all funded sports organisations should have at least 20 per cent black and minority ethnic representation on its boards.
Last year, research undertaken by UK Sport and Sport England found that BAME people accounted for just 5.2 per cent of board members across 130 publicly funded organisations.
England Hockey has no BAME members on its board.
As part of its diversity action plan, England Hockey aims to “achieve a more diverse Board by attracting BAME candidates with the right skills and experience” in the medium term, as well as to have a diverse representation at all levels by 2024 in the long term.
The Hockey Paper
Newly formed coalition hopes to eliminate boys from girls' field-hockey competition in the US
By Peter Gobis
Somerset-Berkley High's Lucas Crook, one of two boys on the team and King Philip High's Dana Tuini battled for possession during KP's defeat of Somerset-Berkley in the 2017 MIAA Division 1 South Sectional finals played at Taunton High School . Mark Stockweel / The Sun Chronicle
MANSFIELD — The pitch for girls’ field hockey is to try to create a level playing field.
That is the mission of the Field Hockey Coalition, which has successfully proposed to the MIAA, through the MIAA Field Hockey Committee, a rule change which would allow only girls to compete in high school field hockey, while boys would be offered the opportunity to compete in their own gender division.
At present, the MIAA allows boys to compete as members of field hockey teams when their respective schools do not provide the sport. Thus, many coaches, athletic directors and parents deem it to be a physical and competitive disadvantage for girls.
However, a proposal was approved by an 11-1 margin by the MIAA to present a rule change to sanction the MIAA Field Hockey Committee co-sponsored rule change, with the MIAA’s Blue Ribbon Committee, to review the change, and expects to make a decision before the 2020 season, if there is one, commences.
The “purpose” of the Field Hockey Coalition is to “advocate for the advancement of opportunities of girls participating in field hockey; the “imperative” is to “return opportunity, fair play and safety to the girls of Massachusetts playing field hockey,” with the intended “result” to be “positive change resulting in win-win solutions for both genders.”
The coalition includes 14 active field hockey coaches, including King Philip High’s Lisa Cropper, four former coaches, parents and a member of the MIAA Field Hockey Committee.
In three of the past four MIAA Division 1 South Tournaments, Somerset Berkley High, with two boys on the roster, have met and beaten King Philip High.
“All of us are fighting for the same thing: we want the boys to be able to play, just not against the girls,” former King Philip High coach Kim Meehan, a driving force behind the coalition, said. “So we petitioned the MIAA to create a boys’ 7-on-7 league.”
From the perspective of the coalition, the allowance for boys to compete as members of a co-ed field hockey team “diminishes the opportunity” for girls in the sport; has created a competitive imbalance; and created an “unsafe” field physically for girls.
It is such that injuries to girls have increased and become more severe in matches involving boys; that girls are intimidated by the mere presence of boys on another team or on the field; and such has created a “hostile” environment for competition.
Furthermore, according to the coalition proposal on competition, the physical advantages for boys in the sport creates a disadvantage for girls and results in unintended by inconsistent approaches in the manner in which the game is officiated.”
“Overwhelmingly, the MIAA said yes, and now it has to be approved, so we’re waiting, the coaches are all kind of in limbo,” said Meehan. “All of the coaches in the coalition want this — we’re pushing for this as soon as possible, but we don’t know if we’re going to have a season.”
The major complaint has been voiced at the Blue Raiders of Somerset Berkley High, who have dominated not just the South Coast Conference, but South Sectional Tournaments over recent seasons.
With two boys on the roster for the 2016 season, the Blue Raiders went 15-0-3 and advanced to the South sectional quarterfinals (losing 2-1 in overtime to coach Liz Hathaway’s King Philip Warriors); in 2017 with two boys, the Blue Raiders went 18-0-0, finishing as the South Sectional finalist, beating the Hathaway-led Warriors 1-0 in the title game; in 2018, the Blue Raiders went 17-1 with two boys and won the MIAA State title (beating King Philip 3-1 in the semifinal round of the Division 1 South Tournament with Meehan as the Warrior coach); and this past fall, the Blue Raiders successfully defended their MIAA State title, compiling an 18-0 record with two boys on the field, beating King Philip in the first round.
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There are several other glaring cases.
For example, Wayland High School during the 2016-17-18 seasons compiled a 3-42-5 record with just girls on the team. In 2019, when three boys were added to the roster, Wayland compiled an 11-6-3 record.
In the South Coast Conference at Wareham High, during the 2016-17-18 seasons, the Vikings compiled a 2-47-1 record. But when two boys were added to the team for the 2019 season, the Vikings qualified for the MIAA Tournament with a 9-9-2 record.
At Plymouth North High, through the 2016-17 seasons, the field hockey team posted a 14-19-3 record. Since adding two boys to the program in 2018, Plymouth North has reserved its fortunes with a 16-4-3 record that year, and with three boys in 2019 went 14-3-2.
The very first year that a boy appeared on a Massachusetts high school team was in 1992, when Niles Draper at Chatham High, who with ACLU representation, was allowed to participate in the Massachusetts Superior Court decision.
The first “co-ed” teams to win titles date back to Southwick-West Springfield winning the Division 1 West title in 1999, and Hamilton-Wenham taking the Division 1 North title in 2000.
It was then in 2001 that Diane Lussier, the West Tournament Director, and Longmeadow High coach Ann Simonds recommended to the MIAA Field Hockey Committee that separate tournaments be created for “girls” and “co-ed” teams.
“We want to emphasize that opportunities are being lost for high school girls,” Meehan added. “There are girls sitting on benches that have been replaced by boys — that is the key loss, it’s an educational loss to women.”
If the proposal for boys’ 7-on-7 competition were to be placed upon further review by the MIAA’s Blue Ribbon Committee for competition, and field hockey proceeded with boys on the field for competition, the coalition then proposed a number of rule changes to minimize their impact such as: no more than two boys are allowed on the field at any one time; boys are not allowed to participate in any offensive or defensive zone corners; boys are not allowed to take penalty strokes; and boys are not allowed to participate in overtime periods.
“It’s been a long fight, we’re trying to do the right thing,” Meehan said. “What seems like common sense for both sides of the aisle — Malden has five boys on its team, Wayland has three boys.
“There’s definitely a need for it; there are boys who would play, maybe those who don’t want to play soccer in the field, maybe some of those hockey and lacrosse kids. It would be a great sport for them to keep the stick skills going.
“It’s kind of like if you build a need for it, it will come.
“Seven-on-seven is a great game,” Meehan said of the potential for boys’ field hockey. “Maybe the girls will drop down to 7-on-7. Just like girls’ ice hockey, how three or four different towns got together and formed a girls hockey program (Foxboro High, Mansfield High and Oliver Ames for one).
“The boys could do that if they don’t have numbers, that’s what we’re promoting. We’re hoping that it can be a win-win for everybody.”
The Sun Chronicle
IOA Feud: Mittal says FIH clean chit to Batra is eyewash
Narinder Batra is the head of the International Hockey Federation and Indian Olympic Association. - Rajeev Bhatt
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice-president Sudhanshu Mittal has said that the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) clean chit to president Narinder Batra on his complaint of irregularity was an “eyewash”, insisting that his allegation should be probed as per FIH’s statutes.
Mittal claimed his complaint against Batra was addressed to FIH Disciplinary Commissioner Gordon Nurse but the world body tried to hush up the matter against its chief by referring it to the integrity officer.
“I understand the rush you had to issue this statement of the Integrity Officer for a complaint addressed to the Disciplinary Commissioner. Just because Mr (Wayne) Snell issues a statement, it does not make it right. The statement by the Integrity unit holds no power in the Statutes of the FIH. It was a good attempt for eyewash,” Mittal said in a mail addressed to FIH CEO Thierry Weil on Saturday.
“I still insist that my complaint addressed to the FIH Disciplinary Commissioner be adjudicated in accordance with the statutes of the FIH. This would not be, I repeat it would not be the last forum for appeal of truth and justice in the matter.”
Mittal’s latest salvo came after FIH’s independent Integrity Unit chairman Snell on Friday gave a clean chit to Batra, stating that the matter related to the complaint is “not sustained”.
Mittal has accused Batra of violating the FIH statutes by holding the post of Hockey India (HI) president when he was elected FIH head in November 2016.
Mittal accused Weil of diverting his complaint to protect the world hockey body’s president.
“At first, my complaint addressed to the FIH Disciplinary Commissioner was diverted by you to the FIH Integrity unit that has no statutory provisions to look into a complaint against the President.
“Without sending a formal communication regarding my complaint, Mr. Snell choose to issue a statement that further belief of manipulation to protect the FIH President,” he wrote.
“On 10th June, you diverted the complaint to whoever is favourable for a quick statement on the President. You confirmed the allegation I made regarding abuse of power by the President of FIH.”
Mittal’s allegation on the “illegality” of Batra’s election has emerged amid a feud among the top brass of the IOA.
Interestingly, Batra claimed that to ensure there was no conflict of interest in his election as FIH chief, he resigned from the post of Hockey India president on November 25, 2016.
But Mittal said his complaint was never against Batra’s eligibility as FIH chief, but had more to do with misrepresentation of facts and violation of the world body’s statutes.
“There is no merit to the statement of Mr. Snell because I did not question the eligibility of Dr Batra as FIH President in 2016. My complaint was about the misrepresentation of facts in 2017 and thereafter, which is a violation of the then FIH Statutes,” he said.
Sportstar
Kerala's veteran hockey coach Sreedhar Shenoy passes away
Stan Rayan
Sreedhar Shenoy was instrumental in taking hockey to schools in Kerala. - Special Arrangement
A little more than a decade ago, R. Sreedhar Shenoy frequently turned up at various newspaper offices with results of schools hockey tournaments. The veteran coach often appeared weary but he always had a glint in his eye and a ready smile. He was passionate about hockey at the grassroots level and went from school to school to introduce the sport to children.
Shenoy, who has produced more than 5000 players including Olympian Dinesh Naik, passed away after a brief illness here on Sunday. He was 72.
A NIS coach, Shenoy was virtually a one-man show for many years when it came to nurturing hockey at the school level. He was coach, tournament organiser and also made sure the young players' performances were known to the rest of the State.
“He was not my coach but he was a great mentor for me. He is also one reason why I'm here...he taught my coaches Jayakumar and Ramesh Kolappa,” Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh told Sportstar from the Bengaluru national camp, where he is training for next year's Tokyo Olympics.
“I've never seen him without a smile, he was a positive influence for me. In the early seventies, we had a traditional way of playing hockey but after he came, he changed the entire thing.
“That is why we call him the Dronacharya of Kerala hockey,” Sreejesh added.
Passionate about hockey
Joseph Paul, the former secretary of Kerala Hockey Association (KHA), said Shenoy was very passionate about the sport.
“If at one time a lot of schools in Kerala had hockey, I'd say the man responsible would be Sreedhar Shenoy only. He was crazy about hockey, totally dedicated and even as a Kerala Sports Council coach he never used to bother about timings and he introduced hockey in many schools in Ernakulam,” he said.
“If Ernakulam has this many hockey players, he is mainly responsible for that. I'd say he was married to hockey.”
Shenoy's family was loaded with decent cricket and hockey players.
“But Sreedhar never took to cricket, he played hockey for the Ernakulam District and was the coach for the State senior and junior hockey teams,” said his cousin Vasanth Shenoy, also a former KHA secretary.
Sportstar
