Financial hardships haunt Korean hockey

Paul Lissek banks on spirit of players in hard times to tide over Korean crisis

Virtual Global ambassador of hockey, Paul Lissek, is the chief coach of Korean men’s national team. As the Korean hockey authorities face financial hardships to run the show, he banks on the spirit of Korean players, their work ethics, and motivation to sail through hard times and bring back the team to a position of strength at least in the Asian context.

Unlike 4,5 years before, Korea has lost its sheen in the elite levels, their team not seen around the world stage as they used to be so in the past, and is no longer a numero uno team of Asia either.

German Paul Lissek who worked in Malaysia and Australia after playing for Germany and coaching Germany Junior teams to World Cup titles, is tasked to usher Korean hockey into a new era.

There is no one is as competent to talk about present state of Korean hockey than Paul Lissek, who is with the Koran Federation for almost last one year, and has hands on experience.

“The problem in Korea is money, lack of it. We have plans to rebuild Korean hockey. That would require international exposure. For that we would like to go Australia, India, here Malaysia. But what reply we get is you can’t do this, you don’t do this, we don’t have no money like that. Korean men’s hockey faces severe financial problem at present”.

On asked that Korea has been playing all over the world till 2,3 years ago and what has changed now, Paul’s straight reply is: :The change is money”.

“They say Paul, your program is very short. Men haven’t qualified for the Olympics. The money goes to ladies”.

“I hope India comes to our help, visit us for playing test matches. Then you will ask what do we offer in return. I don’t have any reply to that. We can’t even put them in a hotel. The Federation is so poor, I cannot explain beyond”.

If that is the situation what future holds for Korea.

Positive as ever, Paul says the future is the response of these young sportsmen, hockey players.

“They are motivated for hockey, that is there. We don’t have many players but those available are highly spirited, motivated and intelligent enough to follow tactics, strategy. They are hard working, and training”.

Paul even agreed frankly that he is not given any target. “But am given freedom to go anywhere, plan and formulate work in Korea”.

Other than lack of financial crisis, Paul doesn’t find any other hardships there in Korean hockey domain. He doesn’t even find any difficulty in communicating with players.

“Seung Song Tae is there with me. He has played in Germany and Europe. He know English. He translates for me, slowly the team start to understand English too”.

Paul is frank enough to even acknowledge that Korea no more has great goalkeepers in the mould of, say Kumar Subramaniam of Malaysia.

No, we don’t have good goalies. Today we would have won against Malaysia if not Kumar is there. Korea needs that kind of goalies too.