He’s recognised by millions as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but for many young children in India, Jaap Stockmann is a hockey hero for another reason.
So far, the Dutchman’s project, Chak de India, has made a significant mark in the country.
It has provided more than 7,000 pieces of hockey equipment to disadvantaged communities throughout the India, allowing kids the chance to train and play the national sport.
In a country where hockey is one of the most popular sports and members of the India squad are national heroes, being given the opportunity to learn and play from an early age is sadly no more than a dream for many children in the most deprived and rural areas of the country.
A lack of funds, lack of facilities and lack of equipment means that these children are unable to learn the sport that has given the Indian nation so much pride over the years.
Dutch goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann has been playing in the Hockey India League since it began three years ago.
He is a member of the Jaypee Punjab Warriors team, and last season he won Player of the Tournament.
During his travels around the country, he has seen at first-hand just how difficult it was for children in the remote villages to get into the sport. As a result, the giant keeper decided to do something about it.
Jaap explains why he was so determined to help. “During my adventures in India in the Hockey India League, I learned a lot about India, its culture, its people and learned the differences between both countries. In many areas there are a lot of differences, but not when it comes to playing hockey. Sport connects. It helps people forget many problems. It makes people, and especially children, happy,”says Jaap.
He continued: “Often, these Indian children hardly have any material that they can use for sports. They use homemade stuff and play on a gravel field. Kids find hockey fun and interesting, but a lack of hockey sticks and other equipment often makes sure that these kids cannot play hockey.”
Chak de India, which translates as ‘Go India!’, is Jaap’s initiative to promote hockey across the country. In doing so, it is hoped that the project will inspire the next generation of hockey stars.
He enlisted the support of a few companies with hockey links to help with logistics and then put out the call the hockey clubs, hockey camps and several hockey suppliers to donate any pieces of kit they could spare.
The project came into being 18 months ago and now more than 7,000 items of hockey equipment –including sticks, balls and goalie equipment –have been collected and sent to India.
More than 50 hockey clubs from the Netherlands have joined the initiative, including a holiday sports camps. As well as donating equipment, the clubs have held several one-off events to raise funds for the project.
The focus of the Chak de India is upon developing hockey in the poorer areas, but the main, and wider-reaching outcome has been to get more children exercising, improving their health and welfare, developing their communication and social skills and raising their levels of self-confidence.
