One nation that is working hard to re-establish itself as a front-runner in the world of hockey is the middle-eastern nation of Bahrain.
The Bahrain Hockey Association was established in the 1940s, after oil was discovered in the Persian Gulf nation. Since then, hockey’s popularity has fluctuated in the country.
Two new events however, signal an increase in interest in the sport both at an elite level and at a grass-roots, developmental level.
Jude D’Souza, the General Secretary of the BHA, has announced that a new programme of hockey development for children is to be rolled out across the Kingdom.
The Youth Hockey Programme will introduce children to the game and provide opportunities for development, participation and eventually for elite level performance.
Targeted age groups of under 7s, under 10s and under 13s will all received weekly coaching with regular competitions.
The coaching will be based in an academy which will be the first facility of its kind in the Arabian Gulf Cooperative – as the collection of seven Arab countries are known. The long-term aim is to play against other international academy sides in the region.
While these exciting plans are about to be launched across the island, the BHA has been arranging and running short format hockey tournaments in association with various communities on the island.
When it comes to intensity of competition however, look no further than the memorial tournament launched this year, honouring two hockey heroes on the island.
The Tahir Mir Hockey Memorial Cup 2015 and the associated Imran 'Pachi' Reza Hockey Shootout Memorial were recently held at the Bahrain Football Academy.
The event was a memorial tournament dedicated to ex-BHA hockey committee member and umpire chairman, Tahir Mir and ex-Bahrain hockey supporter, Imran ' Pachi' Reza who both passed away last year.
The event, which was played on the artificial turf at the national football ground, featured four of Bahrain's top hockey teams: Hungry Hamours, Dadabhai Wizards, Ministry of Interior and the Young Stars. The Dadabhai Wizards edged the final through a solitary goal against the Bahrain Policemen (Ministry of Interior).
While the inaugural Imran 'Pachi' Reza Penalty Shootout contest was an entertaining affair, it had a serious side as it was the BHA’s way of introducing rule changes in the international game to the Bahrain hockey players.
The Hungry Hamours proved shoot-out champions, with the Hamour’s ‘keeper proving the star of the show.
Umpires for the tournament were: Fran Treadgold (Chairman, UK Hockey Lions), Ali Zaman and Yashpal Rana (Saudi Hockey Federation) and Hassan (Bahrain Hockey Association).
D’Souza, who has been in place for six years and is the driving force behind hockey in Bahrain, says that the hockey tournaments are not just about playing the sport competitively, but also as means of encouraging social community development.
Through their initiatives and events, BHA are inspiring the next generation. Hockey is growing fast throughout the country and all of this is due to the dedication of BHA. They are re-energising the sport, which is not only important for Bahrain, but the whole Arab region.
For more information about hockey in Asia, visit the Asian Hockey Federation's website by clicking here.
