News for 16 June 2020
All the news for Tuesday 16 June 2020
Hockey takes small steps towards normalcy
Global round up
Team S2H
As the rest of the world attempts to live with the Covid-19 pandemic, so does hockey. The sport is taking tentative steps towards normalcy but the future is still uncertain.
India’s national teams, men’s and women’s, took measured steps towards resuming activity. Turf was fumed, each player was tested for temperature before entering turf, they used hand sanitizers before entering the turf. This is what one saw when at the SAI complex, Bengaluru, the teams began outdoor training on June 1 after a two-month lockdown hiatus.
Precautionary measures against the virus were strictly adhered to. Players maintained safe distance while training besides using own bottles for hydration and changing stick grips. The teams adhered to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the Sports Authority of India.
Government of India, which owns major infrastructure for sports, decided to open them. However, various state are wary. In Chennai, for instant, there is a grievance that Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium complex which caters to hockey, tennis and volleyball, is yet to open.
China, as noted by the FIH on its site in its ‘Play Hockey Stay Healthy’ feature stories is slowly resuming activity.
In an interview with the world body Liu Yuxiang, of the Chinese Hockey Association, talks about the resumption of hockey in certain areas in the country.
Yuxiang also revealed safety measures being taken to keep the dreaded Covid-19 at bay.
The Chinese official said that competitions could start in areas where Covid-19 risk is at a low level and a combination of six-a-side to full 11-a-side matches could be staged.
Online coaching clinics, umpiring courses as well as sport science seminars were also on the agenda, according to the official.
Like other walks of life, China imposes social distancing in training and administration of sport.
In Kazakhstan too, hockey is finding its feet amid the crisis.
The secretary general of the country’s hockey body Serik Kalimbaev told the FIH: “In this regard, positive moves have been made in Kazakhstan in relation to field hockey. We are now preparing for the championship in the region, which will be held in Taraz city in June.”
However, he made it clear that preventive measures – social distancing in the main — to protect the health of the players would be carefully followed.
“Although hockey is a team game, when training the children have been positioned seven or eight steps away from each other, thereby observing safety precautions,” Kalimbaev said.
Interestingly, the Kazakhs do not allow close contact among the players. Methods for giving passes are worked out and like most of the sporting world, they also practice online training with guiding instructions from a trainer.
Kalimbaev enthuses: “As they say, whoever is devoted to sport cannot be intimidated by corona virus.”
This must be a message of hope even as the virus seems to be compelling everyone to a “new normal”.
Football, for one, is trying to work out a way for acceptance of a new mode to sporting contests.
La Liga and Bundesliga contests have resumed in front of empty stands.
But tackling is significantly reduced and it seems clear that players are fighting shy of physical contact.
Hockey is just a shade less physical than football. But the two sports’ similarities cannot be mistaken.
Hockey involves close contact, hard running and deep breathing. The threat of droplets causing infection is rife.
No offside induces diving deflections in attempts to score. And that often results in clash of bodies and combative situations on the pitch.
The FIH, however, declared that the resumption of competitive hockey depends on local conditions in member countries.
The world body asserted that any return to training and competitive hockey has to be “carefully implemented to prevent any resurgence in infection”.
According to a top FIH official said while a vaccine is needed to “return to normal competition”, restarting the sport at different levels is dependent on conditions in various member nations.
The FIH statement refuted reports which quoted the world body as saying hockey would resume only if a Covid-19 vaccine were to be developed.
Instead, the world body prepared a five-stage resumption plan that presented a framework on how hockey could resume.
The FIH, in doing so, reiterated that resumption of hockey activity entirely depends on instructions and guidelines of government of respective countries based on their current situation.
Meanwhile, Belgium and The Netherlands resumed hockey training after six weeks in hiatus last month.
World No. 1 Belgium men’s national team trained at the Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, adhering to strict social distancing norms.
Players, who arrived and left the stadium separately, were asked to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 metres during training.
In Amsterdam, the Dutch men’s and women’s teams returned to the turf at the Wegener Stadium, undergoing temperature checks.
The players were instructed to wash hands before and after training. Players were divided into groups of six in each half while maintaining three metres between themselves.
Australia and New Zealand have suspended all activity but are planning a re-start.
New Zealand, planning a resumption of hockey, has introduced rules changes pertaining to precautionary measures to contain the virus.
Among those are a band on spitting and nose blowing – both of which will draw punitive action from the umpires. New Zealand Hockey has also advised against sharing of equipment like sticks, shin guards, gloves and notably face masks at penalty corners.
The Corona virus pandemic has wreaked havoc on hockey, as it has on other sports.
The FIH Pro-League has been suspended and will be extended to June 2021.
And the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed by a year and is now scheduled for July 2021.
Covid-19 has killed over 400,000 globally and infected 7.5 million. India has suffered more than 8,000 deaths with over 300,000 infected.
Stick2Hockey.in
Auckland Hockey sees its community return to the turf
Community Hockey was back in Auckland this past weekend as the turfs across the Association were open and hosting all grades of senior hockey. This coming weekend will see the junior players return to the turf as the second biggest Association in New Zealand got going again.
On Saturday one of the premier club competitions from throughout the country got underway as the Intercity Club Competition between Auckland and North Harbour clubs resumed after being interrupted after the second round earlier in the season. The competition features several of our Vantage Black Sticks players in a season which will see them don their club colours which they are so passionate about representing.
Q – How has the transition been going in the return of community hockey in Auckland?
A – The transition back to the turf has been going well. We have been noticing the vibe amongst our members has been an eagerness to get back into things; people were compliant with all the protocols when we reopened our facility which allowed for a smooth transition to returning.
Q – What challenges have you had to overcome during this period?
A – The lockdown provided us with an opportunity to reexamine how we operate. We have a trim and lean team where a lot of the people are doing several different roles which meant we were already functioning quite well.
Q – What opportunities has this period provided to Auckland Hockey?
A – Rep Hockey not happening this year has meant that we now have the opportunity to look at these programs and identify if there could be a better way to deliver these so that we don’t overload our participants. We now have a clear community window which means that we can look at other opportunities and ways to deliver quality experiences to our participants.
Q – How was your team able to stay productive and creative during the lockdown?
A – Our team found that the way we operated wasn’t too different. Our staff are used to working remotely and being effective in this way. We were able to have team meetings online during the period, and it allowed our team to be still connected and continue to work effectively during the lockdown.
Q – What does it mean for the community to be back on the pitch and playing games?
A – People love games more than they love training, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback and people are glad to be back out on the pitch and competing against one another. The sense of community in our Association has grown since returning to the turf, which has been awesome to see.
Q – Have there been any challenges with getting the volunteers in place to run the games?
A – We are connected with the Hockey Umpires Association and consider them another one of our clubs. We have found that not having the rep season means that our umpires have more time so can commit in some cases more of their time to the community season which means that we have been unaffected in this area.
COVID 19 has provided our Associations with the opportunity to look at new ways to deliver our sport to their communities. Auckland Hockey has plenty of exciting developments in the pipeline that will provide amazing experiences for their community. Make sure you stay engaged to see what these will look like.
Community Hockey is continuing to ramp up around the country. Next week we are going to be profiling another massive Association from in the North Island and looking at how they are getting used to their new facility in this ever-changing landscape.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
USA v England Virtual Challenge
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The year 2020 has been unpredictable. Matches and large international events have been postponed or canceled which has left many Team USA athletes uneasy. The U.S. Rise Women’s National Team’s trip to England at the end of April was canceled but that hasn’t stopped both squads from wanting to partake in some healthy competition.
Sarah Kelleher, England Hockey U-18 Lead Coach, reached out to Phil Edwards, USA Field Hockey’s Senior Manager of Coaching and Performance, to see if the Rise USWNT would be interested in an online/virtual competition between the two groups to provide a positive ending to a highly unusual year.
“We were disappointed not to be able to play each other in May as planned and a USA v England Virtual Challenge felt like a great way to add another level of competition and engagement to our programs as they come to an end this year,” said Kelleher. “The challenges will involve physical, core and technical challenges over two weeks. This period of not being able to be play together has allowed players to learn about their self-motivation, desire to develop as players and the power of togetherness in how they have supported each other. Our intent is to dial this up another notch through the healthy competition of the USA v England Virtual Challenge.”
The USA v England Virtual Challenge kicked off on Friday and will run until Friday, June 26. This two-week challenge will include mixed groups of athletes from each nation with a combination of tasks and exercises to complete. Each team will be split into six groups, consisting of five field players and one goalkeeper. During the week, each athlete will be given two physical tasks and two field hockey tasks to complete and report their individual score. Each task has a different scaling base depending on the exercise. The average score of the athletes in each group will be the group score. The group score is what will be used to rank the six groups in a healthy challenge setting.
The six tasks during the first week of the USA v England Virtual Challenge are:
1. Physical - The Engine Room
2. Physical - Core Strength
3. Field Player - Hands Like Hannah
4. Field Player - Precision Passer
5. Goalkeeper - Teddy Bears
6. Goalkeeper - Happy Hands
At the end of the two weeks on June 26, a virtual closing ceremony will take place including both teams where the overall group champion will be named, and individual awards will be given for the top performers in each task or exercise.
“Obviously not the challenge we were hoping for at the beginning of this year, but after the last few months it is an outstanding opportunity to compete within our team and against a different nation,” added Ole Keusgen, Rise USWNT Head Coach. “After months of isolation it is important to have a form of competition to stay motivated and to not lose the focus on greater goals. It will be a fun opportunity and our players might also get a nice comparison on where we stand as a team.”
Both nations believe the USA v England Virtual Challenge is a great way to keep the teams involved internally as well as provide an informal way to collaborate and highlight healthy competition.
USFHA media release
Asian Hockey Federation could decide fate of men's Asian Champions Trophy in August
It's slated to be held in Dhaka from November 17-27 but with 90,619 confirmed coronavirus cases, Bangladesh has been one of the worst-affected nations.
By Swaroop Swaminathan
Indian hockey team. (Photo | Twitter/Hockey India)
CHENNAI: The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) will take a call in August to decide if the Asian Champions Trophy (Men's) should be postponed to 2021. It's slated to be held in Dhaka from November 17-27 but there are obvious doubts over it because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"As of this moment, it is on," AHF Chief Executive, Tayyab Ikram, said. "We will review the situation in early August."
With 90,619 confirmed coronavirus cases, Bangladesh has been one of the worst affected Asian nations.
The AHF will also be speaking to the organisers of the Asian Champions Trophy (women's) early next week to start looking at potential new dates. As per the original schedule, it was slated to be held in Donghae from June 14-21, but was indefinitely postponed as South Korea became one of the first Asian countries to feel the effects of the virus.
"Given this situation and the escalating worldwide coronavirus crisis, the AHF has carefully assessed all aspects of the impact on our events and come to the conclusion that the postponement of the Bangabandhu Al-Arafah Islami Bank Junior Asia Cup Dhaka 2020 & the Women's Asian Champions Trophy Donghae 2020 is unavoidable to protect the safety and health of our athletes, officials and the broader hockey family and to enable a fair and successful event at a later date," AHF had announced via a press release at the time.
"We are talking to the host South Korea but it is very unlikely to announce any date under the present situation," Ikram said. Even though Korea has significantly flattened the curve since the outbreak began earlier this year, new infections have cropped up in recent times. All member federations of the AHF are constantly being updated on the status of the ACT, Ikram added. "Yes, of course, we are communicating with all national federations regularly."
From an Indian perspective, the Asian Champions Trophy is an important tournament for both the senior teams, especially in a year that's such as this. With no other competition to look forward to, the ACT could have provided much-needed match practice to both sides. If both the tournaments get postponed to next year or if there is an outright cancellation, it's likely that both the men and women could go up to 10 months without playing an official fixture.
New Indian Express
MHC target women for Asian crown
By Jugjet Singh
File Photo: The plan is to get younger legs into the team and turn them into Asian champions in eight years. NSTP/ HAFIZ SOHAIMI
THE Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) have set their sights and heart on women now.
The plan is to get younger legs into the team and turn them into Asian champions in eight years.
Malaysia are ranked fifth in Asia and 20th in the world.
"The women's team, under then national coach K. Dharmaraj, had played in playing tours regularly. And as a result, the team earned respect and recognition," said MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.
"Some players were even picked by foreign clubs to play in their leagues, although the team's ranking did not improve from fifth in Asia.
"The MHC are no longer interested in making the women qualify for second and third-tier (world league) tournaments.
"Following a chat with National Sports Council director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, we have decided to embark on an eight-year plan to develop our women players.
"These new players will be groomed accordingly. We want them to be Asian champions in eight years.
"Shapawi had asked me, during the chat, why our team can't beat Japan, India, South Korea and China even though their women are of the same size as Malaysians?
"In the world rankings, India are ninth, followed by China (10th), Korea (12th) and Japan (13th).
"We need to target the Asian crown to be top 10 in the world."
And for women players who retire, the MHC have plans for them.
"We will help those interested to get their coaching badges."
Former captain Siti Noor Amarina Ruhani retired just before the Movement Control Order and is now planning to be a coach.
"The women's team have no international tournaments this year, so we will take our time to name a new coach," he added.
New Straits Times
Harendra retires, focuses on grassroots development
Coach Harendra with youngsters circa 1998
Harendra Singh, former India coach and Dronacharya awardee, will now be in a position to concentrate fulltime on nurturing young talent.
“I have opted for VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) from Air India and I hope to develop grassroot talent in the country,”he said.
The 51-year-old recently grabbed headlines as front-line warrior in the battle against Covid-19 which is plaguing the world.
Wearing an anti-contamination suit, he helped in operations to disembark Indians from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the virus, in the first flight from the city after the pandemic gripped the world.
For long coach of the junior India team, his highpoint was guiding the country to its second Junior World Cup title at Lucknow 2016 and its wake helping produce a clutch of stars now doing duty with the senior team.
Harendra, who coached the senior India team to sixth spot at the 2018 World Cup, the country’s best finish in 24 years, has served India’s national carrier for decades after joining the company in 1990. He rose to the rank of commercial manager, a post he held till retirement recently.
Harendra, hailing from Bihar, played 43 times for India before quitting and concentrating on coaching at the relatively young age of 26 in the mid-1990s.
Stick2Hockey.in
SA Hockey launches the SAHA Academy
The past 3 months have been a trying time for all and a just generally a very negative time in our country. It is thus such great news to be able to share this positive story – The birth of the SAHA Academy – The new hub of Education within SA Hockey.
If there is anything that we have learnt from the past few months, it is that the SA Hockey Association as an organisation needs to radically adapt to a “new” normal, and with that in mind a much-needed overhaul of the education structures.
Coaching education in South Africa has been under review for some time, and there is a heap of work being done to raise the level and accessibility to coach education. Besides the simple need for a refreshed approach, the main aim is to ensure that the access to coaching education aligns with the country wide growth strategy for hockey.
SA Hockey Association Education sub-committee chairperson Robyn Morgan and Curriculum Development member Gary Dolley have been in constant communication with the FIH Academy for almost a year now. This process has been to consult on the content and delivery of the SAHA Coaching curriculum as well as the Integrated SAHA & FIH Pathway. Part of this process involved observing FIH online courses and workshops, to gain insight into how they are delivered.
Having the support and the official backing of the FIH Academy gives credibility to our education program, as it will enhance our operations and increase the quality of our coaching workforce. Quality coaches will improve the general standard of play across our player pathway.
We need to thank the FIH Academy for being so accommodating and willing to share knowledge and assist us on this journey.
This overhaul will happen in various phases with the first being the SAHA Level 0 Coaching Course, introduction of the ONLINE booking system and the retraining of course facilitators to meet the needs of course participants.
The 2nd phase will include the introduction of the ONLINE SAHA Level 1 Coaching Course and the SAHA Level 1 Technical Officials Course. Watch this space as things develop and grow.
The SAHA Level 0 Umpiring Course is already online and accessible via the Online Booking platform academy.sahockey.co.za
We launch the SAHA Academy today on Youth Day to promote the development of coaches within the Primary School setup with our inaugural online course being presented by Gary Dolley.
All the course information can be accessed via the SAHA Academy button on the SA Hockey home page www.sahockey.co.za or directly at academy.sahockey.co.za
The SA Hockey Academy has been endorsed by both University Sport South Africa (USSA) Hockey and SA Schools Hockey Association (SASHOC).
SA Hockey CEO Marissa Langeni shared her delight at the launch of the academy:
“COVID-19 has changed the playing field and I am incredibly proud that the SA Hockey Association has been able to adapt and launch the SAHA Academy. Now more than ever it is critical that we can help our coaches develop and grow on their education path and the SAHA Academy will play a massive role in achieving this. We would like to thank the FIH Academy for being so supportive on this journey.”
SA Hockey Association media release
Reid-Ross’s pays tribute to Amsterdam as spell comes to a close
Justin Reid-Ross’s six-year spell with AH&BC Amsterdam came to a close this week with the news that his contract would not be renewed for the upcoming season.
The South African has been a key figure at the Wagener Stadium during his time there, helping the club land a Euro Hockey League silver medal in 2016 in Amsterdam, scoring four goals on that journey.
He is among a number of confirmed changes at the club this summer with Boris Burkhardt and Wiegert Schut both moving to HDM while Rik van Kan – an EHL winner with Bloemendaal in 2009 – has retired. Daan Dekker is coming in from Almere.
Reflecting on the news, Reid-Ross said: “This brings to an end the most enjoyable, challenging and successful chapter of my club hockey career.
“When I joined Amsterdam in 2014, I fulfilled my boyhood dream. This club has been home to the penalty corner masters that essentially created the skill, weaponised it, and perfected it. Taco van den Honert, Sohail Abbas, and Taeke Taekema were players I had revered growing up, and ultimately drove me to learn how to flick.
“I joined a squad that included international heroes of mine, and I was to be coached by none other than two-time world player of the year, Alyson Annan. As a kid from Pretoria, South Africa, it was almost too good to be true.
“Over the last six seasons, I have experienced all the drama of the Hoofdklasse, the EHL, the Indoor National Championship and even the Gold Cup. I came to the club with the ambition to win titles. To ultimately leave Amsterdam without an (outdoor) championship or an EHL gold medal is tough to swallow, but that will certainly not define my period representing “het mooiste club van Nederland”.
“There are a great many people that I need to thank for all they did for me during my time at AH&BC. There are some people, however, who deserve a special mention for truly shaping both my experience at the club and my development as an athlete and a person. Bonnie & Rob Groenemeijer, Alyson Annan, Paul-Robert Lankhout, Alexia Sifneos, Graham Reid, Joost Bitterling — thank you for your time, support, hospitality and friendship.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to share the pitch with dozens of magnificent hockey players while wearing the Amsterdam colours, many of whom have become close friends, and I am grateful to have had that opportunity. You all know who you are. Thank you for teaching me how to speak Dutch and for making me feel at home.
“I will miss stepping onto the pitch in the Wagener as an Amsterdam player, but I am proud to have had the honour of wearing the iconic shirt for so long.
“Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this period in my life. Those who have supported me through rain and shine, snow and hail, historic wins and devastating losses, will always hold a special place in my heart, as will this fantastic club.”
Euro Hockey League media release
Farrell and Richardson to lead Avoca charge
Irish team Avoca have announced the appointment of Noelle Farrell as their new ladies first team head coach, taking over from Ronan Hickey.
Farrell takes on the role following two seasons as the assistant coach. She adds this new post to her CV which includes being the current Irish Under-17 girls head coach, Under-16 assistant coach and Leinster Under-16 head coach while she has also completed the Coaches for Europe Development programme in 2018/2019.
As a player, Farrell represented Leinster at Under-21 level and won an Irish Senior Cup with UCD in 2012, among other honours.
She will be joined on the coaching ticket by Anna Richardson who will take the role of assistant coach/player. Richardson is another UCD Alumni who returned to her home club last season.
As a player, she has represented Ireland at Under-21 and 23 level and won the EY Hockey League and Irish Senior Cup with Collidge in 2017/2018 and the EY Champions Trophy in 2017.
She is also head coach of the Newpark senior girls who reached the Leinster Senior Cup final this year and is the Assistant Coach of the Leinster Under-16 girls.
The Hook
Dhyan Chand: ‘The undisputed magician of world hockey’
By Mike Haymonds
Our article in a previous The Hockey Paper edition described Stanley Shoveller as the greatest ever English hockey player. There is little doubt that the accolade as the greatest global player is deserved by the Indian Dhyan Chand.
Chand won gold medals at three Olympics – 1928 in Amsterdam, 1932 in Los Angeles and 1936 in Berlin (when he was captain). In Amsterdam he was top scorer with 14 goals in five matches; in LA he got 12 (while his brother Roop Singh scored 13) and in Berlin he bagged a hat-trick in India’s 8-1 victory over the hosts. But for the intervention of World War II he could have played in one, or even two more Olympics. In 1928 one newspaper report read: “This is not a game of hockey but magic. Dhyan Chand is in fact the magician of hockey.”
Born Dhyan Singh in 1905 in Allabad to a father in the British Army, the family moved regularly because of army transfers, finally settling in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. He acquired the addition of ‘Chand’ (Moon in Hindi) to his name because he used to practice in the moonlight.
His initial love was wrestling and he claimed he could not remember playing any hockey worth mentioning before he joined the army on his 17th birthday.
He made his international debut at 21 on the Indian Army’s tour of New Zealand in 1926 (reported in THP September issue) and scored over 400 goals in his 22-year career (1926-1948).
At the Berlin Olympics it is claimed that Adolf Hitler was so impressed by Chand that he offered him German citizenship and a position of colonel in the German army, which he declined.
In his later years he suffered ill health, eventually dying of liver cancer in 1972. Two months previously, unhappy at his treatment by his countrymen, government and the hockey federation, he said: “When I die, the world will cry but India’s people will not shed a tear for me.”
After the Bharat Ratna award, India’s highest civilian honour, was extended to sportspersons in 2011 he was overlooked when the first sports recipient in 2014 was the cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Chand’s family has declined to champion him, saying: “He is in no way second to any sportsman.”
However, his national legendary status is maintained by the Dhyan Chand Award for a lifetime achievement in sport while India celebrates National Sports Day on his birthday August 29. Also the National Stadium in Delhi was named the Dhyan Chand Stadium in 2002.
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The Hockey Paper
'Why is ending racism a debate?'
Darcy Bourne is an 18-year-old athlete in the Great Britain Elite Development Programme, and an image of her from the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in London was shared globally across social media.
As a result she spoke with the Daily Telegraph, BBC Radio 5 Live and a number of other media outlets to share her reflections of the protests, conversations started by the image and her own experiences within hockey. Read below for a transcript from her interviews.
She said, "The whole experience has been surreal but it’s been really positive as well.
"Of course, the most amazing aspect was when Martin Luther King III shared the photo. I don’t think anyone could have meant more in terms of this movement; only perhaps Barack Obama. To realise a photo of you is having that kind of effect is amazing.
"Like everyone, I saw the footage of George Floyd and it was impossible not to feel strongly about it. It was truly disgusting. My dad is black, but that in itself was not the reason alone for going to the protests. No matter what your background is, something needs to change. So I went to London on Sunday; I had been badgering my parents about going, they were worried about the threat of Coronavirus but saw how strongly I felt and decided I could go. I made the sign myself, I just thought it was a simple message in terms of all we should be talking about. There should be no argument.
"I was a bit nervous on the way there because it’s such an emotional topic, but quite quickly I saw the unity and mutual respect every had for each other; we were all there for the same reason. It was incredibly moving just being there, the power of the movement with people coming together, fighting for one cause, fighting for black lives.
"There were a lot of photographers there, quite a few wanted pictures of my sign. The one that most people will have seen was taken by Misan Harriman, and when I first saw it posted by the editor of British Vogue I really said 'wow.' Of course I never expected it to go this far, but it shows the power of social media. No matter how big your platform, you can make a difference. There were so many people who shared it; Lewis Hamilton, David & Romeo Beckham, Bella Hadid, TS7, New York Times, Elle Australia and so many more. When Dr King’s son posted it, honestly I was shaking. I’ve had hundreds if not thousands of messages which were so inspirational. People were asking me for advice which was eye-opening and like I say I was thankful and slightly overwhelmed to have an impact.
"I had conversations with celebrities as well, a long talk with model Martha Hunt in the States, she’s got something like three million followers. I’m actually going to university in the USA next year which has made everything that’s been going on feel even more personal. I also spoke for a long time with Sarah Evans, she’s in the GB senior programme and we both play at Surbiton., she’s captain of the women’s team. Where we live, there’s not a lot of discussion about race so it was great to talk to her.
"There’s a lack of representation across hockey but in all my time in hockey I’ve never seen or experienced any racism. Hockey is very accepting to people whether it’s a different race, gender or sexuality. Hockey doesn’t reach a wide audience all the time which doesn’t help reach new people, so if there are problems they are deeper than just sport alone.
"It’s obvious there are a limited number of black role models in the game; Rhys Smith in the men’s senior programme is doing an incredible job with Hockey Inner City though and is inspirational, no matter which background you’re from. As young people you look up to people who look like you. I did athletics to a high level and always followed KJT; hockey maybe doesn’t have someone like that at the moment. But hockey was always so welcoming to me; I could’ve chosen another sport but hockey was very open.
"I’d love to make it to senior international level and if I do then I hope to be a role model to youngsters myself. I’ve seen it at Surbiton, there are a couple of BAME guys in the senior men’s team, but no women senior to me. However I’ve done some coaching in the younger groups and there is significantly more diversity there. I can only speak to my experience, and without doubt the sport has a long way to go, but we’ve already got a good base in terms of how open the game is.
"I think overall, the tragedy of George Floyd has opened up people’s eyes, I’m just sorry that had to be the start of it. We can use this time to come together and fight for equality, and we have an incredible opportunity. We can spread a message and inspire a younger generation of black people, whether that’s in life, or in this case in sport as well. We want people to know that matter where you are, you’ll be accepted."
Great Britain Hockey media release
International Goalkeeper Jahangir Butt Passes Away
By Ijaz Chaudhry
Rawalpindi: Goalkeeper Jahangir Butt who made three international tours with the Pakistan team in 1965 and `66 breathed his last in Rawalpindi on Monday at the age of 87 after a prolonged illness.
It is pertinent to mention that an outfield player with the similar name Jahangir Butt also played for Pakistan from 1965-72.
Born in Rawalpindi,Pakistan`s biggest hockey nursery in the decades of 1950s, 60s and 70s, goalkeeper Jahangir`s first selection for Pakistan came for the extensive tour of East Africa in 1965.
During that tour,Pakistan played 24 matches in Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania). Kenya,in particular, used to have a very strong team those days. Pakistan won the 7-test series against Kenya 2-1 with four matches drawn. All the three national teams mainly comprised of Punjabi settlers especially Sikhs.
Next, Jahangir was member of the Pakistan team which toured Europe in the summer of1966.
Main event was the International Hockey Festival at Hamburg, Germany, competed by almost all the top national teams. Pakistan finished fourth.
Pakistan also played matches in Holland, Belgium and Poland including test matches against the hosts.
He last appeared at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand where Pakistan won the silver medal losing to India 0-1 in the final.
At home, Jahangir Khan had appeared in tests against the visiting West German side in 1966.
He joined Pakistan International Airlines and played for the powerful PIA side winning the national championships with them a couple of times. Jahangir Khan served PIA with distinction and retired as an Assistant Station Manager. He also had a stint at the PIA office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ijaz Chaudhry writes on hockey & other sports. For more about him and his work, visit: www.sportscorrespondent.info
Fieldhockey.com