An introductory course to be new umpires are going on here. Each country was asked to send at least three prospective umpires with at least one female member. India has sent just one, Virender Singh of Meerut. At the same time, Sri Lanka managed to send three, and it is learnt all three of them bore the expenses from their pocket. Hockey India of course sponsored Virender Singh.

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The official hotel, Impiana, seems to have been taken over by the teams. From the moment you step into the lobby, all you see are players and officials from different teams. In between, the rare non-hockey guests at the hotel almost look and feel out of place.

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India coach Harendra Singh keeps trying new things to improve performance. After the Commonwealth Games, he started yoga to concentrate on things in his control and those outside. He says it has helped him calm down and become a better person.

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International betting agency Bwin is providing online betting for the tournament. However, the bets are open only on the day of matches during the games. They have a person commissioned to give the latest match situation live which helps them work the odds. So much for hockey not being able to bring in money!

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A huge globe has been put up at the main entrance of the hockey stadium. It was put up during the junior World Cup in Ipoh in 1989. It lists all the teams that participated in that edition, expect India. Instead, there is only Pakistan mentioned. No one among the Malaysian federation can explain why.

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It may be a major tournament but some things never change in Indian hockey. At the four-star team hotel, the only floor that sports a row of t-shirts spread out to dry is the one where the Indian team is staying. Despite the tall claims, the players hardly get any allowance on tours. At least the federation can think of providing them with laundry facilities.

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With not much to do and a big game ahead, the Indian team decided to call it a day early on Saturday. And, after a waterpolo session in the morning, the team wrapped up with another session in night, watching a movie. The team watched Chalo Dilli after downloading it.

=============================The night market in ipoh is one of the highlights of the city. Even as late as 1.30 at night, the street is full of people looking for a cheap bargain and enjoying the night out. The best sellers are shoes and clothes.

=============================Dutch coach Paul van Ass is here with his team to assess the teams playing in this competition even though Holland are themselves not participating. With the European championships coming up and Olympic quotas at stake, Ass wants to look at England in short term and teams like Australia with an eye on Olympics.