“Compared to open field variety, some vital components of hockey sport are far superior in indoor hockey than in the open gam. If Asian hockey is to come up, they have to essentially pick up the very essence of indoor hockey and incorporate them into the field hockey”.

Thus spake Yasudhasan former international umpire of repute in a chit chat with s2h. Yadusan lives in Kuala Lumpur, and is eminently qualified to talk on the subject as he was the Technical Director of the First Asian Indoor Hockey held at Macau midway through last year.

Dwelling on the details, Yasudhasan picks up in particular reflex, trapping skills and goalkeeping techniques being the specific areas well-manifest in the indoor game. “A regular indoor player will naturally be endowed to grasp those nuances and would seek to reflect them in the open game”, he opines.

The tall and impressive umpire, whose refereeing baptism was accomplished in New Delhi in the late 80s, reminisces fondly and firmly the vast stride that the Iran national team have made in the indoor sphere. “They are Asia’s natural leaders in indoor hockey, and were easily the best pick at Macau. They nearly outplayed every other competing teams”.

On asked how could he manage the first indoor assignment at Macau in the light of the fact that the game is not popular in Asia and the championship itself is a new venture of the Asian Hockey Federation, he said the things went beyond expectation, smooth though he expects more and more qualified umpires take interest in indoor hockey.

Yasudhasan was recently the Technical Director of twin-leg four nation tournaments in Australia, where Australia, China, South Korea and India were in the assembly line.

He was particularly impressed with Indian umpire there, Virender Singh, and said, “He is a former player and young. I feel he is at right age to come into the umpiring sphere. One can make further up in the ladder only if takes umpiring at young age. This way he is perfect as of now”.

Speaking on the recent Australian experience, he added, “Everything was fine. There was quality contest on the field. China really impressed everyone, lost the a title on sudden death. “personally am happy the type of people at my disposal for refereeing the matches.

However, after a long pause, he slightly came out when said, “The diet allowance given to the umpires is less. They deserve more”. He was not interested to go deep into the matter. It is however made out that he has made an observation on the aspect in his final report to the FIH.

Yasudhasan works in a subsidiary of Fima Corporation as Senior Corporate Accounts Executive. He had his initial umpiring assignments in New Delhi in the Asian Zone Junior World Cup Qualifying tournament and also in the Junior Asia Cup.

“I fondly remember elderly Gian Singh, who gave me lot of tips on umpiring. Those, coming as it were in the nick of time of my career, helped me a lot”, Yasudhasan signs off with an Indian touch of nostalgia.

Yasudhasan was recently in Ipoh to witness the 17th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in its last phase.