News for 17 June 2020
All the news for Wednesday 17 June 2020
Savita: ‘My best is yet to come, want to put Rio nightmare behind me’
Savita, who has been a rock at the back for the Indian team for the past 12 years, said she lacked self-belief in the initial stage of her career.
Savita said the Indian team utilised the time spent during the lockdown to analyse the game of other teams.
Indian women’s hockey team goalkeeper Savita says her best is yet to come and the side is determined to exorcise the ghosts of the Rio Olympics by creating history at the Tokyo Games.
The Indian women’s hockey team had qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years but suffered a heartbreaking elimination at the group stage itself.
“... my best is yet to come, it is because my goal is to perform exceptionally for my team at the Tokyo Olympics, and make sure that I can put the nightmare of Rio Olympics behind me,” Savita, who hails from Sirsa, said in a release issued by Hockey India.
“I think our team was really raw at that point of time, and we did make a few mistakes. However, 2021 in Tokyo will surely be a great chance for our team to make history.”
Indian team is ranked ninth in the FIH World Rankings.
Savita, who has been a rock at the back for the Indian team for the past 12 years, said she lacked self-belief in the initial stage of her career.
“It is a funny thing that when I first started off, my self-belief and passion for the sport was really less as compared to other people. However, with time, I started falling in love with the sport, and I truly believe now that the best for me is yet to come,” she said.
The Indian hockey teams, who have been stationed at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus here, recently resumed training following the coronavirus hiatus.
The Indian goalkeeper said the team utilised the time spent during the lockdown to analyse the game of other teams.
“We have been doing our homework for the past couple of months where we have been studying and analysing various aspects of our’s and our opponents’ game,” she said.
“It has been really good to hear about the return of hockey in some countries including New Zealand, and I speak for my entire team when I say that we cannot wait to get back to playing competitive hockey against the top nations.”
Savita said the break taught her patience and gave her more reasons to value the small moments of life.
“I have always been a very quiet person who is mostly calm, but I believe that the time we spent during lock-down has really taken my patience level to a new high,” the 29-year-old said.
Sportstar
Manabu is ready for the challenge of a home Olympic Games
Manabu Yamashita is captain of the Japan men’s national team and he is more than ready to lead his team out next year in front of a home crowd at the Tokyo Olympic Games. This will be Japan’s sixth appearance at an Olympic Games – they last competed in 1968 – and it is easily the largest international competition that the current team has experienced but there are many signs that Japan are ready to meet the test.
A surprise first place finish at the 2018 Asian Games, saw Japan beat Malaysia in the final. The Samurai also finished ahead of other higher ranked nations, India, Pakistan and Korea. A member of the senior national team since 2011, and with 186 international caps to his name, 31-year-old Yamashita is Japan’s most experienced player but even the cool-headed midfielder will be dancing if Japan performs well on the home stage.
What are your thoughts about playing for your country at a home Olympic Games?
Manabu Yamashita: “I am very excited and I cannot wait for the Olympic Games to take place in my country. I feel extremely lucky. I will be very proud to be representing my country and singing the national anthem on the pitch.”
What made you first pick up a hockey stick?
Manabu Yamashita: “At school I played football, but at one point my school team was short of players and I was asked to help out. That was the beginning of my hockey career.
Who would you say has been important in your career as an international hockey player?
Manabu Yamashita: “I think everyone. That includes all the coaches and players I have worked with. I would not have built my hockey career without every single one of them.”
How did your team stay connected during time away from the pitch due to Covid-19?
Manabu Yamashita: “We had weekly meetings where we discussed strategy. But we also had several online fun sessions where we did a lot of dancing and drawing. We had ad-hoc meetings and did some activities for kids.”
Profile*: Manabu Yamashita
Position: Midfield
Shirt number: 13
Age: 31
International appearances: 186
Place of birth: Japan
You can follow him on Instagram @yamashita0204
FIH site
Viren in rescue act for Hockey in Covid-19 times
Errol D’Cruz
Viren (left) in conversation with former star Jude Felix
Hockey star Viren Rasquinha knows a thing or two about grassroots development. He himself was a glittering product of an indomitable effort lasting decades by Dronacharya awardee Merzban ‘Bawa’ Patel a selfless founder of the fabled Republicans Club in Mumbai.
Bawa, who devoted his life to the sport while sacrificing his own financial security, is an altruist for the sport and in Rasquinha’s words “A world champion in grassroots development.”
So it doesn’t surprise anybody that the now retired former India captain, resolute centre-half and currently Director and CEO of Olympic Gold Quest joined hands with GoSports Foundation to care for disadvantaged grassroots players all over the country whose families have been ravaged by the lockdown induced by the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.
LetsStickTogether, the product of the joint initiative by two top non-governmental, not-for-profit institutions, aspires to raise Rs 20 lakh by July 15 to aid 200 grassroots players, coaches and groundsmen struggling to earn a living, Rasquinha explained.
“Scores of grassroots players belong to families whose incomes have been zero in the last three months,” the 39-year-old erudite player explained.
Their fathers are autorickshaw drivers, barbers and fruit sellers to name a few occupations hit hard by the lockdown, Rasquinha elaborated.
“And then there are coaches and groundsmen all over the country, involved in grassroots development struggling with little or no income,” he added.
Viren was a brilliant student. A write up on him in 1996
“Viewing their plight struck a chord,” Viren said.
Rasquinha then revealed that he collaborated with his good friend Nandan Kamath the founder of GoSports Foundation to hit upon a plan to help these needy.
"Hockey has given me so much in life,” Rasquinha said. “I am deeply saddened to see the severe impact of Covid-19 at the grassroots level,” said the Olympian, World Cupper and a key member of the Junior World Cup winning squad of 2001.
“We also hope at least 25 % of those benefited are families of female players,” said Rasquinha.
How does it work?
“We have intermediaries all over India, trusted former players and administrators of the sport who will help us identify deserving cases,” he explained.
“For example, we have Dilip Tirkey in Odisha, Conroy Remedios in Mumbai, Sanggai Chanu of Manipur and Bharat Chikara of Haryana to name a few and there are so many of my friends in Punjab serving the cause,” Rasquinha said.
“And we are aware of organizations doing exemplary work for disadvantaged grassroots players – for example One Thousand Hockey Legs in New Delhi run by Mr Arumugam and Jude Felix Academy in Bengaluru,” Rasquinha revealed. 
Viren in 2002
“They are some of our intermediaries in the project,” he added.
Donations may be made using the link: https://playfor.in/initiatives/lets-stick-together/
Rasquinha is confident that the effort will bring joy and relief to 200 families, half of whom will receive a grant in a few days time thanks to a heartening response to the call.
“The announcement will provide hope to the young players and their families and that will encourage them continue playing during these troubled times,” he said.
The Mumbai-based Rasquinha hopes the second phase lives up to expectations and a Rs 10,000 purse per family is realized in good time.
Stick2Hockey.com
OGQ and GoSports lend Indian Hockey a helping hand
Team Sportstar
Olympic Gold Quest and GoSports Foundation, two non-government not-for-profit organisations working to support Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, have teamed up to launch an initiative to raise funds for 200 most vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19 pandemic at the Indian hockey grassroots -- groundstaff, coaches and young players -- across the country.
A campaign called ‘LetsStickTogether’ was started with the aim of raising Rs. 20,00,000 via donations to support people at the bottom of the hockey pyramid whose lives have been torn apart in recent months.
The two organisations released a statement: “The sport involves numerous participants both on and off the field who contribute to a team’s success. For many of these people, their involvement with hockey is their sole source of income. For others, all other sources of family income have dried up. Sport is their only hope and that hope must be protected and kept alive.”
Support will be directed to those identified as at-risk and requiring financial support, using a trusted network of people and organisations. The funds will be passed on directly to the verified bank accounts of identified beneficiaries.
Former India captain Viren Rasquinha, CEO at OGQ, said: “The aim is to raise money by July 15. Funds for first 100 beneficiaries have been collected from donors, hockey and sports followers. The disbursements have started, we need your support to help the next 100.”
He added: “Sport has always played a positive role, be in bringing communities together or effect social change. The COVID-19 crisis has hurt the people at the grassroots in hockey, a sport which has given me so much. #LetsStickTogether is a humble effort by OCG and GoSports to keep the hockey fire burning against numerous odds.” The donations are eligible for 80 G benefit."
Sportstar
When hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr donated three of his Olympic medals for China War fund
So great was his love for India that he did not think twice about donating his medals to the China War Fund in October 1962 when the country went to war with China
Saurabh Duggal
Balbir Singh Sr (extreme right) handing over his Olympic gold medals for the war fund in the presence of the then Punjab chief minister Partap Singh Kairon (sitting). Col BN Bali (retd) standing second from right. (Courtesy Col BN Bali (retd))
Legendary hockey player and triple Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior, who died on May 25, 2020, was a true nationalist. So great was his love for India that he did not think twice when the country went to war with China and donated three of his Olympic gold medals to the China War fund in October 1962.
“The country’s troubled time was bigger than my Olympic medals. That’s why I gave it to the national defence fund,” Singh had said during one of his interviews.
When the hockey legend was battling for his life at the Post Graduate Institute of Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, two years back, an old photograph sent to his family by a retired Army officer revived some fond memories.
It was from October 1962, when India was at war with China, reflecting the Olympic champion’s selfless and priceless contribution towards the war fund.
Sharing Balbir Singh’s unwavering patriotism, Col BN Bali (retired), recalled witnessing a heart touching moment while he was posted at the office of then Punjab chief minister (CM) Partap Singh Kairon.
“I was deputed in the CM’s office in October 1962 when Balbir Singh Sr came to meet him. When I questioned him why he needed to see the CM, he specified no reason. I thought that like others he must had also come to get some of his work done. But when he met Partap Singh Kairon, he offered three of his Olympic gold medals (1948, 52, 56) for the China War Fund. This left everyone in the office, including the CM surprised, as nobody had come forward with such a gracious donation before. However, Kairon refused to accept the medals, saying it was the country’s pride. But Balbir Singh said the medals were the best he could offer, and on his insistence, the CM accepted them,” recalled Bali.
“However, Kairon did not send the medals to the PM’s relief fund, and told the staff to keep it in the office safe. After a couple of months, the CM returned the medals to Balbir Singh and told him that these are the country’s pride and can’t be exchanged for money.”
It was in 2017, when he read in the newspaper that Panjab University created a chair in the name of the hockey legend, Col Bali called the university office to get his contact number. “Eventually, I was able to get in touch with him and his daughter. Later, while surfing my old documents I came across the photograph of 1962 Balbir Singh handing over the medals to Kairon, so I gave the photograph to his family and told them about Balbir ji’s patriotism.”
During the 2012 London Olympics, the hosts invited the living legends from the 1948 London Games and had an exhibition of their Olympics artifacts. During that time the three Olympic gold medals were insured for UK pound 300,000 (Rs 2.76 cr). “For my father these Olympic medals are priceless, he always tells us that there is no pride bigger than the country’s honour. So, we never thought about its value in terms of money,” his daughter Sushbir Bhomia had said.
Balbir Singh was part of the hockey team that won the Independent India’s first Olympic gold in 1948.
A British colony till a year ago, India defeated Britain on their home turf and saw the tricolour of the newly independent nation being hoisted, in a country which ruled them for two centuries.
“Though it happened 70 years ago, memories of the London Games are as fresh as it happened yesterday,” Balbir Singh had said in an interview in 2018. “As a child I used to ask my father (Dalip Singh Dosanjh), who was a freedom fighter, what independence meant and what we would get out of it. He would reply that independence would give us our own identity, flag and pride forever. That day when our flag was hoisted in front of thousands of Britons at the Wembley Stadium, I realised what independence means. It was the proudest moment for me and for all Indians back home. When the national anthem was played and the flag was going up, I felt that I was flying. I am short of words to describe that glorious moment.”
Hindustan Times
Beeston hockey matches set for regional free-to-air TV
By Richard Bright
In what has been billed as a first for domestic hockey in England, the sport will be aired on free-to-air television for the 2020/21 season – at least in some form.
Following approval from England Hockey, Notts TV will delay broadcast all of Beeston HC’s men’s and women’s Premier Division home fixtures next season.
According to the club, matches will be aired live on the club’s Bee TV channel, which started broadcasting in 2018, and on Notts TV on Wednesday evenings.
Notts TV, a British commercial local television channel which broadcasts to the City of Nottingham and the surrounding areas, has been on air since 2014 and broadcasts on Freeview channel 7 and Virgin 159.
David Griffiths, Beeston’s Deputy Chairman, said: “For us, this is a moment of vindication, that our hard work to introduce regular live coverage of Premier Division hockey, has clearly paid off. It’s exactly what players of such a high standard deserve and we’ll continue to work hard to make our coverage as exciting as possible.”
Owen Shipton, Notts TV’s Head of Output, said: “Beeston Hockey Club deserves great credit for the role it plays in the development of the sport locally and nationally.
“This partnership means our viewers will get to see coverage of top-flight action and Olympic-level athletes for free, and reflects our ambition to bring the best of Notts sport to as big an audience as possible.”
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The Hockey Paper
Get active on Olympic Day!
Every year, on 23 June, Olympic Day is celebrated all around the world to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games and invite people to get physically active.
In this challenging year, let’s show the world the power and strength of Hockey’s Olympic spirit!
See attached information to find out how to join up in this celebration.
How to celebrate Olympic Day
Ask your national hockey community, including all your players, coaches, officials, etc, to engage online by creating their own short videos around one of the following three messages from this year’s IOC campaign about Olympic Day
#StayStrong – Mental & emotional Wellbeing – e.g. message/short story of overcoming adversity;
#StayHealthy – Covid 19 info and nutrition – e.g. staying safe, home cooking;
#StayActive – Physical wellbeing – e.g. keeping fit, hockey skills at home.
Don’t forget to communicate about your Olympic Day project across all communications channels, including social media, to attract people to your activities and share the fun of hockey during the event. We urge you to inform NOC representatives, IOC members, government representatives, VIPs who can help you raise the profile of your digital activation.
Official Hashtags for 2020 Olympic Day are:
#StayStrong #StayHealthy #StayActive #PlayHockeyStayHealthy #OlympicDay
Don’t forget to tag us on Social Media! @panamhockey
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
Former UMass Athlete Cockrum Helps Fuel America's Return to Space
Brian Rippey, The Reading Eagle
Keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground during her field hockey career at Wilson and the University of Massachusetts is now helping Hailey Cockrum reach for the sky.
Cockrum watched with a strong sense of pride last week when SpaceX launched the first two Americans into space since 2011. Cockrum, a 2012 Wilson graduate, is a quality assurance supervisor for SpaceX in Los Angeles.
"You could say it's similar to your offseason in field hockey," Cockrum told the UMass communications department. "You train all spring and all summer with the goal of winning a championship. And then when you're successful, you look back and you think of all the small moments that led up to that."
A Reading Eagle request to interview Cockrum was denied by the SpaceX communications department. But Cockrum's reaction to the historic launch on May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was tweeted out by UMass, where Cockrum earned a degree in operations and information management.
"The accomplishment is the result of so many inches that all add up," Cockrum said. "Not only to witness the launch happen, but that we were able to keep the crew safe, was an intense feeling of elation and pride. To know that we all did that together brought an intense feeling of camaraderie."
Cockrum learned a lot about teamwork at Wilson and UMass. She played in 82 games at UMass and started all 22 in the midfield during her senior year. She was voted to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Squad for four straight years.
"While at UMass, my problem solving approach and leadership skills were heavily influenced by my participation with the Division I field hockey program," Cockrum wrote on LinkedIn. "Balancing an honors course load, relentlessly pursuing self-improvement, and being surrounded by an incredible team are the experiences that have sharpened my competitive result-driven personality."
Cockrum, who attended the Isenberg School of Management at UMass, also wrote on LinkedIn that Feb. 8, 2018, was a pivotal day in her career when SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy.
"Just nine short months after joining the company I stood in front of mission control astounded and humbled to have contributed to such a feat," Cockrum said. "Today I still feel just as lucky to be a part of the team that is working to make humanity a multi-planetary species."
SpaceX, an Elon Musk company, took another step toward that goal by sending astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station in a mission called Demo-2. The mission lifted off atop a two-stage Falcon rocket with the astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon capsule.
It fueled a sense of pride inside Cockrum.
"It was interesting because we've been building that rocket a long time," Cockrum told UMass. "On that rocket, I helped manage the manufacturing of the landing legs and I helped procure the parts for the landing legs. From a hardware perspective, it's been a long time coming. But seeing certain things in the past month that would only be done preparing for a crew mission, it's been really exciting. Some of the tests, some of the dress rehearsals you know this was really coming."
USFHA media release
'It is acknowledged that up to this point, we have not done enough'
England Hockey are one of 80 sporting bodies who committed to the message delivered by a joint statement from the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The appalling death of George Floyd, the global protests that have followed and the powerful message of the Black Lives Matter movement has made every section of society take notice and confront an ugly truth.
Sport and recreation has an influential role to bring about meaningful change and this period has rightly led the sector to reflect, listen, question, learn and openly discuss how to take positive action.
It is acknowledged that up to this point, we have not done enough.
It is time to confront racism and inequality that exists across sport, from grassroots participation through to the boardroom.
Research by the Sport and Recreation Alliance (2018) showed that four in ten (40%) of BAME participants have endured a negative experience in sport or physical activity settings, more than double that of white participants.
A 2020 Sport England report demonstrates that just over 50% of black people in England meet the recommended levels of physical activity each week.
The Diversity in Sport Governance report (2018/19) identified there is only 5% BAME board representation across Sport England and UK Sport funded organisations.
Constructive work has already been started to address a number of these problems including a committed effort to increase boardroom diversity, additional funding to tackle inequality and an array of inspiring inclusiveness projects from across the sport and recreation sector. This can only be seen as the start.
Systemic change must be made at all levels so that we can become truly reflective of our wonderfully diverse society. We can no longer rely on black role models at the elite level speaking out, we must join together to become better and to support every member of the sport and recreation community.
We must become more inclusive. We must create opportunities which are truly accessible. We must do more.
To help us achieve this, there has to be a commitment for a significant increase in resources and funding, as has been dedicated to address other areas of inequality. We have welcomed the recent news of the Sports Minister’s decision to review the Sports Governance Code.
There is no easy solution and change will require a consolidated approach both from within and outside of our sector. It is time to face awkward questions, to become involved in uncomfortable conversations and to hold ourselves to account.
England Hockey Board Media release