New Indian Express: Differences over change in format

By Swaroop Swaminathan

LUCKNOW: IT was strange looking at the format of the Junior World Cup. Two halves of 35 minutes each, a media release had informed. In its traditional avatar, it was that but the sport, thanks to the broadcasters chipping in with their views, had changed its regulations to four quarters of 15 minutes each. The original move behind this was because the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) had voiced their concerns on how the sport had become too fast to properly appreciate the skills.

Interestingly, the current FIH president Narinder Batra feels there are too many breaks in a game. “To reach out, we have to make the game simple for spectators to follow,” he told to Express days before becoming the president. “I feel there are far too many stoppages in the game.” He wasn’t necessarily speaking about the quarters but commented on the general state of a match. Too many instances of whistle blowing and less of going with the flow.

Australia’s Ben Bishop did call it strange to have to play the JWC in a different format. “It’s bit of a strange one that we aren’t playing four quarters,” he said. “If that is the way hockey is headed (four quarters), then we (junior players) should also be playing that.” Germany’s chief coach Valentin Altenburg agreed. “I think the four quarters rule was a test for the senior teams and has a lot to do with TV coverage,” he said. “It has brought a lot of teams in the world close. If that’s the goal, I think even the Junior World Cup should be run in that manner. Because tactically and mentally it’s a different approach so we should be consistent on all levels.”