School Hockey: St. Francis says, Chak De Hockey
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“ Education is the root of all the progress that human race can boast of today.”
No doubt that education is a life long process but most of the formal education of a person takes place during the tender years of a childhood and is confined to the four walls a school.
St. Francis School (in Amritsar Cantonment) is a premier institution in the city, catering to the educational needs of people for last 55 years. The school, set up in 1953 essentially to meet the needs of the Anglo-Indian community, later opened its doors for all sections of the society. Since five decades, school has been upholding the high ideals in field of education. Affiliated to ICSE board the school at present has 2300 students and about 100 staff members. Along with academics the school has made an equal contribution in the field of sports which many schools tend to do but are unable to.
“We at St. Francis do not like to rest upon our past glory; those inspire us to do better,” says the present principal of the school Rev. Sr. Prabha Jose. She took over the charge of the school in June 2006. Vivacious and untiring leader, she takes keen interest in every aspect of child development — it be physical, mental social or spiritual. Having served as teacher and principal in various schools of Punjab in the last 22 years, practically no aspect of education does escapes her attention. One testimony to this is her concern for ‘Hockey’- our National game.
The director of the school Rev.Fr.Roby Colenchery a philanthropist is an able administrator. He has been director in many schools and is the chairman of the Diocesan Board of Human Rights. He is also a keen promoter of sports. The duo is all set to revive and reinstate hockey in their school with the help of the most talented sports teachers- Mr. Samuel Gill & Mr. Daljit Singh.
“No doubt the school presently has one of the best football teams in the district but there were days when we had a formidable hockey team too, and that was till 1995,” said Mr. Samuel Gill. Then the team was guided by Mr. Peter Gill and Mr.Avtar Singh being patronized by the then principal Rev. Fr. K.V. Joseph. However, after 1995 hockey slowly disappeared from the sports curriculum whereas other games like basketball, throw ball, cricket, football continued to prosper.
Unfortunately, hockey suffered at every level, district, state and national. National symbols are a part of national identity but it is sad that hockey has received a step-child treatment at the hands of the government, but we all know that this was not always true there were times when hockey brought all the glory to this nation, it has done us proud eight times in Olympics. India and hockey were synonym s till 1980 Olympics held at Moscow but after that the golden era of Indian hockey started drawing towards its end. Indifferent attitude of the high officials, lack of sponsors, over-dominance of cricket have pushed hockey towards its death-bed where it needs our immediate attention or else oblivion, would become its ultimate fate.
It’s a good augury that Director Rev. Fr. Roby and our Principal Rev.Sr. Prabha have emerged as champion the cause of hockey, for they have timely sensed the danger to the life line of hockey. They re all determined to revive hockey in their school. A sincere effort in this series came on the morning of 18th Nov. when Sr. Prabha beamingly introduced Prof. Randhawa to the students in the morning assembly.
Prof. Randhawa – a crusader of hockey, delivered a emotional, informative and inspirational speech on hockey. Not surprising many children were unaware that hockey is our national game, as we are cricket craze. In a land where cricket stars are idolized hockey stars are leading a life of anonymity. I wouldn’t say that it is wrong to embrace and promote a new game but at the cost of our own national game-how far is this justifiable? And not to forget that cricket is not an Olympic event.
As a nation of hundred million we ought to be one of the leading countries in sports but in many past Olympics we did not even appear in the medal tally and this time in 2008 We did not even send our hockey team. Recently, we leapt forward and took the moon in our stride. Then is a small hockey field invincible for us? As Jaideep Sahni puts up in ‘Chak De India’ that it is not power but it is the spirit which counts the most for victory.
Definitely ‘Chak De India’ is a commendable effort in the promotion of hockey and the movie is a legend in itself and as Prof. Randhawa said that we have all only enjoyed this movie but we have failed to get the message it conveyed.
In the end when coach Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) hands over a hockey-stick to a young boy he actually invokes the young generation to play hockey. And there is no doubt that if now the youngsters start playing hockey with the right spirit, then in next few years we can still reach the top, only a step has to be put in the right direction. It is ironical that in every lane of the country young children can be seen playing cricket, it is only because that these youngsters have never been introduced to hockey. Perhaps , media can render no excuses for this allegation. This responsibility also lies on the schools which are the centres of all teaching – learning activity.
I am glad that our St. Francis School has whole-heartedly accepted this challenge and is also well-equipped in all spheres to meet this challenge as it has a good infrastructure, a big ground, efficient sports teachers like Mr. Samuel Gill,Mr.Daljit Singh and most important the zeal to do it.
It was overwhelming to see the spirit of the the Franciscans when they raised their hands and vigorously shouted ‘Chak De Hockey’ –St. Francis.
There is no doubt that Prof Randhawa’s wowrds touched the hearts of the children in this school.
Now reviving and promoting hockey is not a task for the management of St. Francis but a mission. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the stage is all set where hockey will be re-crowned, embraced as a culture and followed as a tradition by the whole of India.
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glad to know efforts being made for hockey .
st. frncis school can beat the world .Deepsikha
IF ALL SCHOOLS OF INDIA INTRODUCE HOCKEY .IT CAN ALSO BECOME A VERY POPULAR GAME .NO DOUBTS STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN THIS FAST GAME .BUT WHO WILL MOTIVATE THE PRINCIPALS .KINDLY SHOW THEM THE WORK BEING DONE BY PROFESSOR RANDHAWA .
ONCE GEORGE BERNARD SHAW DISMISSED CRICKET AS A GAME PLAYED BY ELEVEN FOOLS AND WATCHED BY ELEVEVEN FOOLS .OR WHEN AN ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY DESCRIBED IT AS A ORGANISED LOAFING .WHY PROMOTE IT IN SCHOOLS OR COLLEGES .INSTEAD PROMOTE HOCKEY OUR NATIONAL GAME .ST.FRANCIS SHOULD PROMOTE IT .SANJEEV CHOHAN
just reading a good news that amritsar st .francis school has too introduced hockey .fantastic .
just reading a good news that amritsar st .francis school has too introduced hockey .fantastic .
st.francis school ======attention please ! !====india first made impact on the international sports scene through hockey it is our game======we should love it and embrace it .o k st.francis management .good wishes for a new start .
glad to know that francis convent is also forming a hockey team.but why not a hockey team of girls also .kindly rethink .
first time visiting this great site .a wonderful contribution to the field of hockey .SUGESSTION FOR THE (EDITOR) MAKE THIS SITE MORE POPULAR ONLY THEN IT WILL INVITE MORE VISITORS TO VISIT .THIS EFFORT CAN SERVE A GREAT PURPOSE . CHAK DO HOCKEY EAST OR WEST HOCKEY IS THE BEST .BEST WISHES FOR ST FRANCIS SCHOOL .RAJINDER KUMAR( A HOCKEY PLAYER)
I WOULD LIKE TO APPEAL ALL STUDENTS OF INDIA TO COME FORWARD TO SUPPORT TO HELP TO PROMOTE NATIONAL GAME HOCKEY .WITH BANNERS IN YOUR HANDS SAY A BIG YES ===TO HOCKEY AND A BIG NO==== TO CRICKET .2009 YOU TAKE AS A HOCKEY YEAR .YOU PROMISE !! TELL ME . A HOCKEY LOVER -SANDEEP HOCKEY
hockey ko sahara do .bharat ke rehne walo .jai hind jai bharat
Gud to c that Amritsar’s St. Francis school has also taken up hockey as their main sport…Good work done by the students and teachers of this school…I wish the hockey team best of luck for their future matches
Hi friends,its good to see that there is hope for hockey left in this country.S2H is a very interesting site.It has many nice topics and articles on Indian Hockey.well,Its for sure that Amritsar is doing a very gr8 job in spreading hockey amoung youngsters.I hope big cities like DELHI,MUMBAI,KOLKATTA,CHENNAI etc also come forward to make hockey a success.
always try to help a dying sport i mean hockey .think how can we all do something to revive this beautifil fast game .forward your suggestions dear friends .REETI SHARMA
Show students power and support hockey in every possible way myself Neha Mahajan would like to request students of school and colleges of India to come forward to extend helping hand towards hockey our national game. Hockey needs helping hands of sponsers,media,actors and government.But all these are in greed asleep.So we should wake up.
Hockey has already been sidelined in India. the reason lies somewhere in our outlook towards the game. The media has projected Cricket so much that everyone is glued to it and every kid wants to be into cricket because of the limelight. Everyone blames hockey federation and coaches and what not, but is it the respect we give to our national game? Media has to take an active role in it. At least throw some light on our legacy in hockey. I feel it was an act of negligence from TOI. I expected them to be more responsible media and not just another news paper which just gives what people want to see in stead of showing actually what is happening.
j prof randhawa ji di mehar rahi hockey phir dubar apni high level te avagi we are thankful to prof randhawa ji