FIH President Tayyab Ikram attended most of the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup Malaysia 2023 in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond attending the matches of this thrilling tournament, he and a delegation of high representatives of the international hockey community had an audience with His Majesty Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, the King of Malaysia, himself a former member of the International Hockey Federation Executive Board.
"It was a great occasion that the international hockey family met with His Majesty Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, the King of Malaysia, at Istana Negara. Presenting him with well-deserved awards, including the prestigious FIH Member of Honour, was an unforgettable moment. His Majesty's exceptional leadership and unwavering support for hockey have been instrumental, and his affiliation to our sport is truly an honor. We express our heartfelt gratitude for his continued dedication to the advancement of hockey", President Ikram stated.
The 13th edition of FIH’s flagship event for male Juniors presented a further opportunity for the FIH President to interact with some of the game’s key stakeholders. As he always does, he spent time meeting athletes, listening carefully to their insights, challenges and ideas, and sharing his advices – with them and with their coaches – about the crucial aspect of athletes’ welfare. “It was wonderful to meet these young people. As always, it was very important and insightful for me to spend time with athletes throughout the tournament”, the FIH President said.
Himself a FIH Master Coach, Tayyab Ikram met the candidates and educators of the FIH Level 4 Coaching course organised in Kuala Lumpur. Sharing his life passion for coaching and some of the learnings of his High Performance coaching career, he said: “It was a great pleasure to meet all these coaches who are doing such a wonderful job to grow and improve our sport. Telling my personal journey to become a FIH Master Coach, I could advise about the optimal coaching approach and strategies, as well as the key focus areas for coaches. We discussed about a wide range of topics such as the FIH Education system, the FIH events calendar, the penalty corner or the current status of developing non-watered turf. A central discussion point was the welfare of athletes, which has to be the number one priority for coaches!”
Of course, the FIH President did not miss to congratulate in person the Officials. “Umpires and all Officials are so passionate about what they do! Let’s never forget that they are volunteers, taking from their precious leisure time to officiate at our events. Thanks to all, you’re doing a great job!”, he said. He also met the former legendary international umpire Vijaynathan Gulasingam. Expressing mutual respect, President Ikram thanked Gulasingam for his encouragement and recognized the significant role of the legendary umpire, while Gulasingam congratulated President Ikram on his FIH presidency, emphasizing the importance of his leadership in the global hockey community. "I was very delighted to meet Vijaynathan Gulasingam. His dedication to the sport has left an indelible mark, and his words of encouragement fuel our collective commitment to take hockey to new heights."
Since FIH, in a groundbreaking move to enhance the safety and well-being of athletes, introduced an onsite Event Safeguarding Officer for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cups, Tayyab Ikram met Safeguarding Officer Sarina Sundara Rajah. "We believe that fostering a safe environment is not just a responsibility but a commitment to the well-being of our athletes," said FIH President Tayyab Ikram, emphasizing the FIH's dedication to prioritizing athlete safety. “In collaboration with its member national associations, local authorities, sports organizations, and educational institutions, FIH is committed to building a comprehensive framework that addresses safeguarding concerns at the grassroots level. By integrating this initiative into its flagship Junior World Cup events, FIH aims to set a precedent for its future events.”
The FIH President also addressed the Executive Board of the Asian Hockey Federation, meeting under the chairmanship of AHF President Fumio Ogura, giving in-depth information to the AHF EB members about the Empowerment and Engagement Strategy that FIH launched in June. He took this opportunity to present a special memento to Malaysian Hockey Confederation President Dato Seri Subahan Kamal.
“On behalf of the global hockey community, I’d like to express our sincerest gratitude to the Malaysian authorities and organisers, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation in particular, for having staged once again such a magnificent World Cup, as well as to the fantastic fans! Thank you, Malaysia!”, the FIH President concluded.
