The grand old man of Malaysian Hockey, Vijianathan is back. He was Secretary of the MHF for 26 years, but was missing when the MHF hosted the 2002 world cup. Now in the new regime, where the AHF Secretary P. Alagendra does not count, the 75-year old counts. He says he cannot refuse when the MHF president, chief Malaysian Army, made him the chairman of Disciplinary Committee in the MHF recently, and with that his entry back into Malaysian hockey commenced. It appears he played a role in drafting the successful bid for this year’s Champions Trophy and also the 2009 Junior World Cup. Dato Viji, as he is fondly called by everybody here, says he is writing his memoirs for the benefit of his children.
I try to avoid Canadian coach Louis Mendonca nowadays. He wants to know how many Indian coaches are here. Really surprising the IHF and the current coaching dispensation gave a bye to KL CT2007. “England is here, don’t they need to watch?”, he wonders. From New Zealand’s women Coach to two Sri Lankan school teams all are here besides Chinese and Canadian contingents. Indians should improve, and we do not know when.
Some Indians you spot here include Harendera Singh, Air-India National Hockey Academy’s first Director P.A. Raphael. The later even installed a latest coaching software at a huge personal cost. The former coaches are here on their own expenses and to keep track with the sport. The most important person connected to our hockey here, is Charlesworth, who says the Australian coach in the Chak De film looks like one of his former Assistant coaches.
It is normally players who get injured but, for a change, officiating umpire in the last match of Day Six Simon sprained his ankle and had to be replaced with reserve umpire India’s Satinder Kumar a few minutes after the half time.
Here is one Journalist from Germany. She will be going to New Zealand after this tour, then to Chile and to Champions Trophy (women) and in all eight months hockey tour. She works for the media Agency that is attached with German Hockey Association.