A proposal to start an Asian Academy was approved at the Council meeting of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF). A panel headed by Abdul Rahim Bin Muhammad Ariff, President, Perak Hockey Association, was formed to prepare a feasibility report on the project to the AHF.
By S.Thyagarajan
Detailing on the deliberations of the meeting, Tan Sri P.Alagendra, Secretary-General, AHF, explained the idea of an academy was conceived to be in the pattern of the NIS in Patiala and also the ones in Australia and Germany. The Academy will not only focus on training coaches, but umpire and technical officials to handle class one international competitions.
Apart from senior officials connected with sports and hockey in Malaysia, two members of the AHF development Committee, Fumio Ogura and Tayab Ikram, will assist the panel in preparing the report.
Mr.Mathavan Devadas, Secretary, Competitions Committee, listed the calendar for the year, the highlight of which will be Asian Games at Guanzhou in November.
The inaugural men's Asian Champions Trophy, which could not be held this year, will now be held in China. The venue is to be decided shortly. Sri Lanka and Doha have agreed to conduct the Asian club championships for men and women respectively.
The top six of the Asian Games will qualify for the men's Champions Trophy. The women's event, to come off in Pusan, from 24-31 July will have four top teams, China, Japan, Korea and India in the fray.
The indoor championship is to be held in Ipoh from 6-11 July, will be qualifying event for the next World Cup to come off at Poznan (Poland) in 2011.
Mr.Tayab Ikram, Secretary, Development Committee, explained the steps taken to popularize the sport in the continent in co-operation with the FIH. The DCC has programmed to have as many as 23 international seminars and seven at the national level. He was happy that there had been an 11 per cent growth in youth activity in the continent.
