Hockey Round- up.

There are a few things "happening" that needs every hockey fans attention:

• New hockey stadium in Johor Baru. It is usual practice when a new stadium is built and before a major tournament, the facilities are tested by holding a tournament at the grounds. This effectively becomes a dress rehearsal before the major tournament. More important is the hockey pitch, to determine if there is even bounce for the hockey ball. Further it is also a basis to check the drainage and water stagnation in the pitch. All these are referred to as "seasoning" or "running in" the pitch and facilities. The other area that is tested is the electronic scoreboard and the lighting systems. They tend to be a troublesome area. Further it is also a place where the Organisers tend to do their practice runs with the technical delegates, umpires, officials, protocol, security and finally movement of the crowd and the vehicles. Shocking !!!!!!! MHF does not want to organise a tournament at Johor Baru in March 2009 because it is expensive and MHF cannot afford it. What an excuse? Sorry MHF, the excuse cannot sell. On the other side of the coin, they prefer to send the Juniors to Australia for warm-up matches. What a story! Is that not going to cost MHF or NSC? Why not use that cost to get the teams down to Johor Baru and undertake the warm-up matches, if the tournament is really going to be expensive. At least on a piece meal basis the Johor Baru facilities can be tested plus the Juniors can also get use to the facilities in a game environment. One need not be a PhD holder to do such thinking. Not only have we performed badly in the game, it looks like we may also mess up the organisational aspects including having properly functional and co-ordinated facilities for the 2009 Junior Hockey World Cup. It shows the narrow thinking of MHF.

• Fitness an issue with the Seniors. The national hockey league is over and it would seem the seniors may not be fit. What a situation, when most of them are from EY. The equation gets complicated as the EY manager is also the national team manager. What a paradox. My question: Would things get better? MHF through NSC are paying the seniors from RM1500 to RM2500 per month. This is being done whether the players are fit or not. On top of it, a club like EY pays their national players RM2500 to RM3000 per month, whether they are fit or not. The moral of the whole system is: If you are senior national player, whether you are fit or otherwise, one should have a monthly income at the minimum of RM4000 to RM5500. So why worry about fitness?

• Hockey Seminar outcome? What is happening to the findings of the hockey Seminar organised by MHF? Is it going to be the same "old story" of forgetting about it and allowing dust to collect? It must be. The latest actions of the Team Management Committee seem to have completely forgotten what took place at the Seminar. Yes, it is the "old story" of lobbyists and friends while ethics and conflict of interest are all thrown out of the door. Why not? After all it seems to be a few people's private playground. Strictly by invitation only.
  

Two months have gone and I must say I am becoming concerned on what is going on in MHF. Mind you they have only 22 months left and most of their targets seem to be at the end of the term of these office bearers. To date, i am not impressed, although the TM may have made the right sounds but it is the various Committees that may not have made the changes.They are still caught in a time warp.