CASH-STRAPPED CANADA LIVE THEIR PASSION
New Delhi, March 6: The men in fiery red jerseys from Canada may not have set the pitch on fire at the World Cup, but their tale of making ends meet and raising funds to reach New Delhi is sure to warm hearts.
While the best teams in the world focused on preparations and the Indian team kept themselves busy with their fight for justice, members of the Canadian team were busy selling T-shirts in between training for the World Cup.
Revealing the daunting task of raising funds, Canada’s skipper, of Indian origin Ken Pereira told this newspaper, “It is very difficult for field hockey players in Canada. While there is sizeable patronage for ice-hockey there are very few takers for field hockey. We have to manage funds on our own when we play tournaments.” Pereira, who makes a living by playing in the Dutch league said, they were short of funds for the trip to New Delhi.
“Playing hockey in our country means a lot of sacrifice. Most often we all land up paying from our pockets when we play abroad. It happened even when we played the Champions Challenge in Argentina.
“This time we put the money together by hosting send-off dinners for ourselves and selling T-shirts. It was senior team member Rob Short’s idea. We got our national team T-shirts done and each one of took responsibility too sell it by word of mouth and we also put it up social networking websites. The response for the T-shirts priced around $25 was good,” Pereira said.
The word hockey for most Canadians begins and ends with ice-hockey. To popularise a sport, which is predominantly based in the English-speaking or Indian dominated parts of Canada is no mean task.
“The concept of hockey is very different in Canada where the focus is on ice hockey. Compared to other countries we are very few in number. The domestic circuit too isn’t very happening, but nevertheless we play with the same passion,” said Pereira.
Pereira who plunged into ice hockey at the age of three, was a late bloomer in field hockey at 16. He took up the sport when a cousin from Uganda started a U-21 hockey in Toronto.
With his father from Karnataka and mother from Mumbai, Pereira has strong Indian connections and is looking forward to visiting Goa. “Playing in a country where my parents were born is very special. I’m eager to visit Goa where I still have cousins. I’ve been there before and I love the beaches there. I’m hoping to go there again soon,” said the 37-year-old.
Devadyuti Das