| Police Complaint Filed Against Deputy Superintendent Of Police |
Photograph of Sardar Singh courtesy The Tribune
 complaint was filed
on February 1, 2016 at the Kum Kalan Police Station in Ludhiana against
Hariyana Deputy Superintendent of Police and Indian hockey captain Sardar
Singh. The complainant is an Indian-origin woman from Leeds, who was a former u-19
England hockey player.
The charges against Sardar Singh are:
- Mental, physical and emotional torture
- Forcing her to undergo an abortion in 2015
- Abandoning her after her abortion
The complainant told ANI, "I have been in a relationship with Sardar
Singh for last four years, of which I have been engaged to him for last two
years. After engagement, Sardar forced me to be in a physical relationship
on the grounds that we are going to get married. Within a year of our
engagement, Sardar Singh got me pregnant. When I told him about the matter,
Sardar was adamant that I should abort the child right away. I was left with
no other option but to abort this child against my will. After this, Sardar
abandoned me, he doesn't speak to me, and has no contact with me."
The two met at a series of tournaments in Europe, as shown below:
| Year |
Tournament |
Venue |
What Happened (per Complainant) |
India's Placing |
| 2012 |
Olympics |
London |
Complainant meets Sardar Singh for first time |
LAST out of 12 |
| 2014 |
World Cup |
Hague |
Sardar Singh proposes to Complainant |
9th out of 12 |
| 2015 |
Hockey World League |
Antwerp |
Sardar allegedly assaults Complainant. Police called to Hotel |
4th out of 10 |
Reaction from Sardar Singh, "Right now I am concentrating on the
Hockey India League, and will reply to all allegations once I go through
the complaint report and consult my lawyer. My focus is on the Rio
Olympics."
The official line from Hockey India is, "This is a private affair between two
adult individuals" However, Hockey India symbolically distanced
itself from the controversy. Before Sardar Singh's address to the media
in Chandigadh, the posters with HI branding and logos of sponsors behind
the dais were covered with cloth.
Reaction from Hariyana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said:
"Whosoever is found guilty will not be spared."
The Ludhiana Police Commissioner has appointed a 3-member Special Investigation Team (SIT)
to investigate the case.
|
| Netherlands - A Hockey Lovers Paradise Like No Other In The World |
Article by Ijaz Chaudhary courtesy FieldHockey.com
 n my first visit to the Netherlands in 2010, I was bewitched by the
scene at the MOP hockey club in the small town of Vught, near
Eindhoven. People of all ages, from seven to seventy, of both the genders, were playing hockey with great enthusiasm on
the club's four artificial turfs.
I have been to this beautiful country thrice
more, and visited many places, and have observed that the hockey culture
in Netherlands pervades the entire nation, like no other nation.
In the Netherlands, hockey is the sport of masses and organized in a
professional manner akin to soccer in Europe. The media coverage and
following is also unrivalled.
A country with a population of 16.8
million has around 350,000 active members who play hockey regularly for their
clubs. This makes it more than 2% of the total population.
Hockey in Netherlands is entirely club based. There is very little hockey in schools
and colleges.
Every club has a number of teams. Usually, it starts from under 8 and
goes to under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 sides, both for boys and girls. Then
there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd men's and women's sides. Likewise, veterans have
quite a few categories. 35-50 come in the Veterans category; 50-60 in
the 'L' Veterans and above 60 are 'XL' Veterans. Top clubs such as Kampo
boast around 35 teams.
Hockey is a family sport in this country. It is not an unusual sight
to see the entire family active on different pitches at a club: father,
mother, son, daughter and even grandparents playing for various teams.
All clubs have a number of artificial turfs; as many as nine in some
instances. The total number of artificial pitches in this small country
is around 450.
The big five hockey clubs in Netherlands in terms of membership are
Blomendaal, Orange Zwart, Kampo, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The Amsterdam
Hockey and Bandy Club (set up in 1892) is Europe's oldest hockey club.
The two sources of
income for the clubs are membership fees and sponsors. The membership fee for a playing
member ranges from €300-400 per season. A family membership costs
€1,000, any number of members of a single household can play.
The Dutch league is easily the most
competitive as well as the best organized hockey league in the world. Both
the men's and women's leagues have five divisions, with promotion and
relegation between the leagues. The top tier is called Hoofdklasse. The
season runs in two phases: September to December and, after a long
winter break, March to June.
Mega hockey stars from
all over the world are attracted by lucrative contracts. Australian
Jamie Dwyer, the five time FIH world player of the year, was reportedly
paid up to €150,000 a season by Blomendaal. Dutch woman super star Maartje Paumen whose club Den Bosch has
won as many as 15 of the last 17 Hoofdklaase titles, earns €60,000 per season.
Apart from the contract money, the big names are also provided with
sponsored cars. Some make additional money conducting coaching clinics.
There is excellent coverage for hockey in
the newspapers, and every Sunday, one top division match is televised
live in Netherlands.
Hockey is a glamorous sport in Netherlands. Top stars such as Teun de Nooijer and
some female stars including Fatima Moreira and Australian Anna Flanagan have
appeared in television advertisements, and have featured on the covers of popular
social/lifestyle magazines.
Hockey is very much
ingrained in the Dutch culture and psyche. Netherlands is truly a hockey lover's paradise.
|
| TenCate's Field In A Box Turnkey Artificial Turf Multi-Sport Product |
Photograph courtesy
TenCate
 enCate
(representing the brands GreenFields and TigerTurf) is one of the 7
official Turf Suppliers of the FIH (the others include
Act Global, AstroTurf, Edel Grass, FieldTurf/Desso), Lano and Polytan.
TenCate has come up with the Field in a Box™ integrated mini sports
system. The product includes a TenCate XP Blade artificial turf mat,
foundation and boarding. Thanks to the use of technological high-grade
materials and smart construction, the system can be installed at
virtually any conceivable location in a minimal amount of time.
Installation comes in two modular options:
Basic Option: This requires a sub-layer (TenCate
Accorder) that is a mere 7 cm thick, which means no deep digging is
required and no heavy machinery is involved. Note that conventional
synthetic turf systems normally use a sub-layer 40 - 50 cm deep. Shock
absorption is provided by a layer of polyethylenene foam (TenCate Sine).
Robust Option: This includes a combined stabilising,
draining and sporting sub-layer called TenCate Ecocept. This can be
fully installed using end-of-life rubber and plastics. 14 tons of
rubber/plastic will be needed for a standard Field in a Box system.
Field in a Box comes with off-field components such as Philips LED
lighting with solar panels, fencing, boarding and outdoor canopy. The
LED lights can cover an area of 1,000 sq metres and more. The energy stored
in the solar panels can light LEDs for around 4 hours each evening. The
lighting masts can be incorporated into the fencing.
The Field in a Box turf pitch is suitable for a variety of sports,
including hockey, football, cricket, rugby and handball. The standard
size of the pitch is 20 x 40 metres.
In metropolitan areas of India, where available land is scarce, the
TenCate Field in a Box mini-field system can be just the right solution to
introduce kids to multiple sports.
|
| The Hockey Museum - Showcasing Hockey's Rich Global History |
Article and Photograph courtesy FIH
he
Hockey Museum, located in Woking - about 40 minutes by train from London
- is a celebration of all that has happened in hockey's long and exciting history.
The EuroHockey Championships in London in August 2015 brought The Hockey Museum
into the limelight. The Museum had an exhibition marquee at the Championships, with a spectacular
window display of clothing, equipment, programmes and artifacts for hockey enthusiasts to pore over.
Among the exhibition pieces were:
- Hockey Outfits from different eras
- 'Hockey in Art' items from around the world
- Display of 125 years of Wimbledon Ladies Hockey Club
- First ever Stamp depicting a Hockey Stick, which originated in Japan
- Hockey Postcards from all over the world.
There was also a large television screen showing cine-film footage of coaching sessions and
matches from the mid-20th century.
One of the exhibits that sparked interest at the EuroHockey
Championships was the 60 metre-long timeline, which was displayed along
one wall of the Spectator Plaza.
The series of images over 19 panels represent key points in the
development of hockey, from the Egyptians in 2000 BCE to the present day.
It was commissioned by England Hockey and designed by one of the museum
volunteers, Martin Ellis.
Thousands of spectators visited the Hockey Museum exhibition during the event.
Many people also donated their collections of hockey paraphernalia, or
promised to donate them further down the line.
"In just four years, we have gone from a few collections in a garage to a recognised
museum seeking accreditation - this is an incredible achievement," says curator and one
of the original founders, Mike Smith.
One of the biggest projects being undertaken at the moment is
the 'Oral Histories' project. The Hockey Museum received a grant from
the English Heritage Lottery Fund that is supporting the recording of
interviews with a range of people who have been influential in the
development of the game.
The project was launched at the EuroHockey Championships, where 19
oral histories were recorded, including one with FIH President Leandro
Negre. Many more interviews are planned.
Following its discussions with the FIH,
The Hockey Museum is also starting to talk with other nations who want
to start their own national hockey archives or museums.
"Protecting hockey's heritage around the world is really
important and we have offered our support and advice to groups in
Ireland, India, Italy and the Netherlands," says Smith. "They are all at
various stages of getting their own national museums up and running. We
plan to present at the FIH Congress in 2016 and this might spark
interest in other nations."
To find out more about The Hockey Museum, visit their website:
hockeymuseum.net.
|
| Yuvraj Valmeeki In Khatron ke Khiladi (Fear Factor) Reality Show On Television |
Article and Photograph courtesy Mid-Day
 eteran
Striker Yuvraj Walmiki may have fallen out of favour with the national
team management but he's finding favour in avenues that hitherto have
been alien to hockey players. Valmeeki has made his small
screen debut with reality TV show Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors.
The Central Railway forward, along with 13 other contestants, spent over eight hours
shooting for the launch of the show at Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai, and came away amazed.
"I was asked all sorts of questions like, why a television show of this
nature, what will happen to your hockey, etc. I
simply said that I was always a khiladi (player) and I enjoy looking for
khatra (danger) so it's only apt. This show was
well timed because the shoot (in Argentina) was from
November 5 - December 11, and the Hockey India League
began from January 24, so I had enough time to train when I returned."
However, the 24-year-old did miss a crucial engagement for his club
side, Central Railway, when the Bombay Gold Cup tournament was held in December 7.
Valmeeki admits he is bitten by the
entertainment bug. "I'm a decent dancer and have always been in awe of
dance shows like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Nach Baliye. At Khatron ke
Khiladi, I hope to do well because I do not fear water, heights, insects or even the
dark for that matter. And if, for some reason, any fear does crop up, I
hope to conquer it," added the striker, whose 'goals' have temporarily
shifted from the real to reel life.
|
| Photograph of the Month |
Photograph courtesy Coal India Hockey India League
he
Photograph of the Month for February 2016 is of the 4th Hockey India
League. Each match starts with a blaze of on-ground fireworks along the
path by which players enter the field. The fans in the stadium love the experiene,
and it looks visually appealing on television too.
The 2016 Hockey India League at a glance is as follows:
| Category |
Comments |
| Teams |
Ranchi Rays, Punjab Warriors, Delhi Waveriders, Uttar
Pradesh Wizards, Dabang Mumbai, Kalinga Lancers |
| Venues |
Ranchi, Chandigadh, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar |
| Captains |
Ashley Jackson, Sardar Singh, Simon Child, V. R. Raghunath,
Nikkin Thimmaiah, Moritz Fuerste |
| Most Costly Player |
Moritz Fuerste ($105,000) |
| League Dates |
January 18 to February 21 |
| Television |
Star Sports 2/Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Sports 3/Star Sports HD 3 (Hindi) |
The semi-finals and final will be held in Ranchi. The semi-finals
will be held on 20th February, and the third place match and final will
be held on 21st February.
|
| Money Matters |
he 4th edition of the Coal India Hockey India League has
a total prize money of  5.74 crore, which is distributed as below:
| Category |
Prize Money |
Prize Money |
| Placings |
2.5 crore |
Tournament Winner |
| |
1.25 crore |
Tournament 2nd Place |
| |
75 lakh |
Tournament 3rd Place |
| Tournament Awards |
50 lakh |
Coal India Player of the Tournament |
| |
20 lakh |
Ponty Chadha Upcoming (u-21) Player of the Tournament |
| |
20 lakh |
Dhruv Batra Maximum Goal Scorer of the Tournament |
| Match Awards |
50,000 |
Coal India Goal of the Match (x 34 matches = 17 lakh) |
| |
50,000 |
Player of the Match (x 34 matches = 17 lakh) |
| GRAND TOTAL |
5.74 crore |
|
This is the first year of the 3-year contract that Coal India has signed
with the Hockey India League.
|
| Media Matters |
he
Coal India Hockey India League is being televised live on Star Sports 2
& Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Sports 3 & Star Sports HD 3 (Hindi)
and on Star’s Digital platform, hotstar.
Star Sports is producing the telecasts with premium
production facilities like:
- Libero Player Tracking in Replays
- Innovative On-screen Graphics
- Super-Slow Motion Replays
- Goalkeeper Matrix
- Real-time Attack-Defence Analysis
A crew of 150, including top of the line camera operators,
replay technicians, graphic operators and a Dolby Sound team, is
showcasing this event live to the world. Star Sports has engaged
Sporty Solutionz as the Production Partner for telecasting the league.
|
| Visitor of the Month |
he
February 2016 Visitor of the Month is B. G. Joshi. He has come
up with an International Consistency Chart to see which countries have
consistently won medals in over a century of hockey in the top level of
FIH events - Olympics, World Cup, Champions Trophy and Hockey World League Finals
Australia, Netherlands and Germany are at the very top of world
hockey, in both men's and women's categories, over 100 years of
hockey, as shown in the table below. The points system is 3 for Gold
Medal, 2 for Silver Medal and 1 for Bronze Medal.
| Category |
Country |
Olympic Games |
World Cup |
Champions Trophy |
Hockey World League |
Points |
| G |
S |
B |
G |
S |
B |
G |
S |
B |
G |
S |
B |
| Men's Hockey |
Australia |
1 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
13 |
10 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
98 |
| |
Germany |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
85 |
| |
Netherlands |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
81 |
| |
Pakistan |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
63 |
| Women's Hockey |
Netherlands |
3 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
82 |
| |
Australia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
54 |
| |
Argentina |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3+ |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
49 |
| |
Germany |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
37 |
Mr. Joshi sent the following mail to BharatiyaHockey.org.
"India comes a distant 5th in the men's hockey rankings
with 36 points, while the Indian women have 0 points, having never
won any medal in any FIH top tier tournament"
|
| Fun With Numbers |
Statistics by B. G. Joshi
he
February 2016 edition of Fun with Numbers is on the Australian men's and women's
Olympic hockey records.
- Australia has 11 Olympic hockey semi-final appearances, and only
1 Olympic gold medal.
- India also has 11 Olympic hockey semi-final appearances, and 8
Olympic gold medals
- Since 1984, Australia has 8 consecutive Olympic hockey
semi-final appearances
- Since 1984, India has 0 Olympic hockey semi-final
appearances
- Terry Walsh, Barry Dancer and Ric Charlesworth have won Olympic
medals for Australia both as players as well as coaches
| Year |
Venue |
P |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
Captain |
Coach |
Rank |
| 1956 |
Melbourne |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
14 |
7 |
Ian Dick |
Fred Browne |
5 |
| 1960 |
Rome |
8 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
14 |
9 |
Mike Craig |
Charles Morley |
6 |
| 1964 |
Tokyo |
8 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
20 |
10 |
John McBryde |
Charles Morley |
3 |
| 1968 |
Mexico City |
10 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
10 |
Donald McWatters |
Arthur Sturgess |
2 |
| 1972 |
Munich |
9 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
22 |
10 |
Brian Glencross |
Arthur Sturgess |
5 |
| 1976 |
Montreal |
8 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
17 |
9 |
Robert Haigh |
Mervyn Adams |
2 |
| 1984 |
Los Angeles |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
19 |
8 |
Ric Charlesworth |
Richard Aggiss |
4 |
| 1988 |
Seoul |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
22 |
8 |
Craig Davies |
Richard Aggiss |
4 |
| 1992 |
Barcelona |
7 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
24 |
6 |
Warren Birmingham |
Frank Murray |
2 |
| 1996 |
Atlanta |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
17 |
11 |
Mark Hager |
Frank Murray |
3 |
| 2000 |
Sydney |
7 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
18 |
9 |
Michael York |
Terry Walsh |
3 |
| 2004 |
Athens |
7 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
22 |
14 |
Brent Livermore |
Barry Dancer |
1 |
| 2008 |
Beijing |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
32 |
12 |
Bevan George |
Barry Dancer |
3 |
| 2012 |
London |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
28 |
10 |
Eddie Ockenden |
Ric Charlesworth |
3 |
| Total |
14 |
106 |
63 |
26 |
17 |
287 |
133 |
|
|
|
- For the Australian women's team, it is Olympic gold or nothing.
They have 3 Olympic medals - and all of them gold
- On these 3 occasions when Australia won the gold, they went
undefeated throughout the tournament
- Frank Murry and Ric Charlesworth have coached both the
Australian men's and women's Olympic teams
- Ric Charlesworth has been Australia's Olympic coach 3 times
(1996/2000 - Women, 2012 - Men). Australia won Olympic medals on
each of those occasions
| Year |
Venue |
P |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
Captain |
Coach |
Rank |
| 1984 |
Los Angeles |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
7 |
Robyn Leggatt |
Brian Glencross |
4 |
| 1988 |
Seoul |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
8 |
Debbie Bowman |
Brian Glencross |
1 |
| 1992 |
Barcelona |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
Sharon Buchanan |
Brian Glencross |
5 |
| 1996 |
Atlanta |
8 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
27 |
5 |
Rechelle Hawkes |
Ric Charlesworth |
1 |
| 2000 |
Sydney |
8 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
25 |
5 |
Renita Garard |
Ric Charlesworth |
1 |
| 2004 |
Athens |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
6 |
Katrina Powell |
David Bell |
5 |
| 2008 |
Beijing |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
9 |
Melanie Twit |
Frank Murray |
5 |
| 2012 |
London |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
2 |
Madonna Blyth |
Adam Commens |
5 |
| Total |
8 |
49 |
33 |
8 |
8 |
120 |
45 |
|
|
|
|
