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By Ijaz ChoudhryOlympic gold medallist Taqueer Dar Talks About Pakistan’s Finest Hockey Academy
Established in 2006 with just seven boys, Lahore based Tanvir Dar hockey academy is now acknowledged as Pakistan’s finest colts’ factory.
Functioning without any help from the government, it has been a great success story.
The academy is now providing quality players to the national teams at all the tiers/age groups.
The academy’s founder president, Olympic gold medallist, Taqueer Dar who is in England these days talks about the academy’s achievements and future plans.
- How you see the ‘Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy’ after four years of its inception?
We started with just seven kids and now we have around 70 boys. Our boys have brought laurels for the academy but more importantly they have won selection for Pakistan’s national teams.
- Can you tell us more about the academy’s achievements?
The main purpose of the academy is to groom quality players for Pakistan.
It gives me immense satisfaction that in such a small period, our boys have donned the Pakistan shirts for various teams. Four of our boys were members of the Pakistan team which won the under 18 Asia cup in 2009. Then the Pakistan under 22 side, the winners of the South Asian Games early this year had three players from the Tanvir Dar HA. And now our boys have also started gaining selection for the national senior outfits. Imran Butt debuted for the Pakistan’s national senior team in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this May.
- The academy is being run without any support from the government. How you manage it?
We were quite apprehensive in the beginning but have been very fortunate in getting sponsorships from various sources. You know that sponsors always look at the results, and the academy is producing results. The academy teams are winning and our boys are gaining selection for Pakistan’s national sides. This attracts more patrons.
- Something about the coaching and training of the boys?
We have a very good team of coaches. Wahid Khan Billoo is a person who eats, drinks, sleeps and dreams hockey. You can’t find a better grass root worker. Then Olympian M.Akhlaq is a qualified coach who has attended many FIH courses and has also been associated with Pakistan’s national outfits.
But I am also fully aware of the importance of providing good competition. Apart from domestic opposition, we look abroad as well. In 2008, our boys travelled to Amritsar, India and won the All India Maharaja Ranjit Singh under 15 tournament.
This year academy’s under 16 side had a very successful tour of three major European hockey nations, Holland, Belgium and Germany.
- Tell us about this European tour?
It was my earnest desire to test the skills of our boys against their European counterparts. It was litmus test to find whether we had been working on right lines.
n Holland, the under 16 side of Tanvir Dar HA appeared in an international youth tournament featuring teams from Holland, Germany and France. The academy team lifted the trophy winning all the matches. They also remained unbeaten in Belgium and Germany. In total, we played 17 matches, winning 16 and drawing one.
The return tickets and the visas of the academy were financed by our Pakistani sponsors while the boarding and lodging as well as the travel within Europe was taken care by our hosts.
- Immediate future plans?
I visit England almost every year. England has a very good hockey structure especially at youth level. The school hockey in this country is the best organised in the whole Europe. The single system introduced by the England hockey is an excellent scheme to reach all the parts of the country and all the sections of the society.
So it will be wonderful if the Dar HA tours England in near future, may be the next year. As there is a large population of ethnic Pakistanis is this country so I am sure there will be good crowds in our matches and the tour will be well covered by the Asian media in the UK.
Academy’s achievements mean we can rope in sponsors in Pakistan to finance our travel both ways but we will need a formal invitation from our hosts in England which is a prerequisite to obtain the UK visas. Fieldhockey.com Exclusive
MALAYSIA have been blessed with a kind hockey draw in the Asian Games, and reaching the semi-finals should be a breeze.
However, the erratic form in the 2006 Doha Asian Games is still fresh in mind, and even coach Stephen van Huizen said ‘it all depends on how the players hold court during the tournament.”
Malaysia, 15th ranked in the world, are in Group A with defending champions South Korea (sixth), China (14th), Oman (43rd) and Singapore (39th).
In Group B are Pakistan (eighth), India (ninth), Japan (16th), Hong Kong (54th) and Bangladesh (34th).
The Asian Games this year will be held in Ghuangzhou, China, from Nov 12-27 and a gold medal in hockey is a direct entry into the 2012 London Olympics.
“Naturally, the first target is to finish top-two in our group and play in the semi-finals. But having said that, I do not believe it is an easy group as we still need to win big against weaker teams in case goals come into the picture,” said van Huizen who is in Germany with the national side.
Van Huizen feels even though Malaysia had played against China and South Korea in the Azlan Shah Cup, and then China in a recent Tour, the Asian Games normally brings out a different side in most teams.
“Yes, we have played with Korea, China and in the Com monwealth Games we are in the same group with India and Pakistan.
“All these matches have and will give me an inside to the teams, but then again, they will also know about my players and it will not be easy in the Asian Games,” said van Huizen.
Four years ago in Doha, Malaysia were grouped with Pakistan who held us to a 1-1 draw, Japan (2-2) Hong Kong (2-1 and Taiwan (9-0)
Pakistan, Japan and Malaysia all ended up with eight points, but Malaysia were bundled out of the semi-finals on goals difference and ended up a miserable sixth instead.
So, naturally, van Huizen is not ready to count his eggs yet.
Two goals by Vincent Martin (CHI) carried Chile to a 2-1 win against Singapore in a boys' hockey warm-up game at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts squandered an early lead provided by Muhd Fadhil Muhd Rizaini’s (SIN) goal as Chile took control of the game that was split into two sessions of 20 minutes apiece. “I am not at all happy with our performance,” said Singapore team coach Gerard Dankar. “I expected much more from the boys. We were composed in the first half, but in the second-half we lost our organisation leading to confusion in the defence.”
Jorge O’Ryan, Chile team’s assistant coach said: “We had a bad first half and we couldn’t get into the game. But in the second half we played better and created more scoring options as we got into a rhythm.” O’Ryan said he was pleased at the fitness levels of his players and expected the team to improve in the days ahead. “We needed this game to get into the flow of the tournament and we have another couple of training sessions to prepare for the Youth Olympic Games competition,” said O’Ryan.
Dankar felt his team committed too many unforced errors, especially in the second half, that led to the opening up of the defence for Chile to exploit. “Chile was given a lot of space at the back, which they capitalised on," the Singapore coach said.
"Our unforced errors, of which there were far too many, also contributed to our defeat. But I can say that the boys have a desire to win and we will work on our game in the next few days before the competition begins.”
Dankar asserted that there was no pressure on the team due to expectations from home supporters. “Absolutely no pressure at all," he continued. "I know we have some top teams to play in the competition. Our first game is against the top seed Australia, but we are confident of doing well.”
Dankar, taking a long-term perspective, said: “Next year, we are hosting the under-18 Asia Cup, and we will have the same group that is playing at the Youth Olympics. From there, we move to the 2013 Junior World Cup. So, in that context, the Youth Olympics competition has a lot of significance for us.”
Chile's first match of the Games is on Tuesday against Belgium, while Singapore open their account against Australia on the same day. Source: SYOGOC
PROJECT 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj will disband his squad after the India Tour, and has challenged his players to preform in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) to warrant a re-call.
The Project boys, in training for the 2013 Junior World Cup, will head to India to train and play in a tournament in October.
“I will disband the Project squad after our India Tour and let them play for clubs in the MHL. And my challenge to them is that if they want their spots back in the Project side, they must show me that they can shine when pitted against the best in the country,” said Dharmaraj.
“Many of my players performed exceptionally well during the Europe Tour, and four of them have even received offers to play in German and Netherlands Clubs.
“However, since some players and coaches have ap proached me and said that so-and-so also warrants a place in the 2013 squad for performing in the Junior League and other smaller domestic tournaments, I throw them a chal lenge to show me what they have in the MHL.”
In the last MHL season, the majority of Project boys played for UniKL: “This year, I have been told that many other established clubs are also looking to sign up Project boys.
“This is a good sign that the MHL is progressing because in the past years, clubs were not keen to hire junior players and relied in former internationals who had retired more than 10 years ago.
“Now, with younger players in the MHL, it will become more competitive and with no clear favourites like in the JHL, everyone has a chance to show off their skills and be spotted for national training,” said Dharmaraj.
Dharmaraj, a former international together with his broth er Embaraj, lamented the fact that current Malaysian players are not recognised in the world of hockey.
“In the past, we had many players who terrorised strong opponents and their names were remembered and feared among hockey playing nations.
“Sad to say, out present batch are not only almost un known, they are also not feared in tournaments, and that is why we find it even difficult to beat lower ranked teams.
“However, I believe some of the Project boys have the capabilities to become household names away from our shores.”
S. ThyagarajanChennai: The mess continues.
The complications have multiplied. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
This is the poignant picture of hockey administration in the country. Any hopes that the August 5 elections would put a full stop to the enduring non-governance evaporated moments after the results panned out.
Somewhat expectedly, the Sports Ministry pulled the plug of recognition to Hockey India (HI) citing non-compliance of guidelines. That triggered a move of missives to the FIH which responded predictably. The appeal to ignore HI was neatly phrased containing expressions like “very compelling circumstances,” “instantly made NSF,” “no legitimate track record.”
How these facts escaped the Ministry's notice when the HI was formed in 2008 is beyond comprehension. The guiding factor obviously is the judgement upholding the appeal by IHF that its suspension by IOA was against the canons of natural justice.
The exchanges between the Ministry and FIH reflect the dichotomy about HI. The Ministry is clear, that HI, in its present matrix, does not enjoy its approval. It also noted that the IHF headed by K.P.S. Gill has the claim to govern on the strength of a court order, which neither the Ministry nor the IOA has contested. The Ministry has also assured that a unified body would be in place in conformity with the FIH statutes.
In response, the FIH conveyed, rather firmly, its reluctance to deal with any body other than HI.
Baffling
What baffles everyone is the assertion that the IHF does not exist in its reckoning since 2000 and that the Indian Hockey Confederation failed to meet the requirements of the statutes.
If that is so why did the top brass in FIH maintain contact with the men's and women's units, allow the national teams to take part in premier events like the Olympics in 2004, World Cups in 2002 and 2006, allot men's Champions Trophy to Chennai, and importantly, sign the contract with IHF for the World Cup in India in 2006, to the point of even forming a provisional tournament committee.
The argument that IHF was not a constituent since 2000 sounds hollow. More so is the FIH threat of prohibiting India from the ambit of international competitions. If it were to do so, then FIH should have named the reserve team by now, with less than three weeks to go for the women's World Cup in Rosario (Argentina).
NSF norms
The Ministry's letter makes it clear how impermissible it will be for HI to function within the framework of norms governing NSFs. It is well known that not even a few in the voters' list on August 5 have the clout in their respective States to run competitions, or enjoy the support of the clubs.
The established units that were conducting local leagues and tournaments with the support of State Governments cannot be eliminated just to fulfil an FIH stipulation.
It is nobody's case that these associations, or even the federation, were impeccable in upholding the tenets of democracy and tenure elections. But at least they ensured enough activity across the country. In the circumstances, the meeting scheduled on Thursday involving the IHF and IWHF members assumes significance. This is a splendid window of opportunity.
Backed as they are by a court verdict and support from Sports Ministry, the members should sink all differences to make the meeting meaningful. They must effect a quick merger adhering to the guidelines in letter and spirit.
The conclave should also pitch upon a set of new office-bearers, or at least nominate a provisional group which will eventually take over. The administrative unit should have a fresh team to garner adequate financial and sponsorship support, an administrative apparatus that is proficient and professional and, above all, a programme acceptable to the players.
The FIH is unlikely to relent immediately. It needs to be persuaded to see the reality of the harm it is doing to the sport in the biggest market in the world by remaining inimical to a national government and standing behind a unit, that has declared itself a private entity.
The Hindu
By Ijaz Choudhry
