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HOCKEY enthusiasts on the island are preparing for another sporting extravaganza and will be welcoming one of the world’s greatest exponents of the game to the coming event.
Jude Felix, former captain of the Indian national hockey team, will be guest of honour at the Bahrain Hockey Association’s (BHA) Bahrain Hockey 6s Tournament to be staged in Saar on November 6.
Jude D’Souza, the association’s general secretary, said: “We are very excited to bring yet another exciting open hockey event to Bahrain.
“With the support of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), we have managed to make our hockey events the toast of the Gulf region, with all the top teams participating.”
The BHA’s efforts have also been gaining the attention of international hockey bodies like the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), who are said to appreciate the efforts being made in promoting the sport despite a lack of top-class facilities.
Securing the support and services of Felix, a former national coach who in 1995 was named among one of the seven best players in the world, is regarded as a major coup by the organisers.
The celebrated coach’s goal is to help promote the sport. “Jude has never been to Bahrain before and this will be his first time, he is possibly one of the biggest hockey icons to ever visit the island!” said D’Souza.
“Hockey fans will get a chance to meet a living legend who not only transformed hockey for India but also for the world.”
Felix has played competitively in Asia and Europe, starred in two Olympics and picked up the coveted sporting Arjuna Award from the President of India. He also helps run the Jude Felix Hockey Academy (JFHA), a charitable trust which promotes the game of hockey amongst the under-privileged children in India. A non-profit organisation, it is affiliated to the Karnataka State Hockey Association, and players and supporters are planning a series of fundraising events to support the good cause on the day of the tournament.
A light workshop will be organised for all the players on the day before the event in Bahrain which the star will conduct. Felix is looking forward to visiting the kingdom for the first time and told GulfWeekly: “Like T20 cricket, the shorter version of the game is the way to go – competitive, festival-like and fun … and creating friends around the globe.
“I wish Bahrain Hockey Association great success and, hopefully, many more youngsters will pick up on this global sport. I’m looking forward to seeing everybody at the Bahrain Hockey 6s!”
The tournament’s six-a-side format features five outfield players and a goalie. Teams competing can comprise of male and female players, both young and old, with four additional substitutes allowed in each squad.
The Bahrain Hockey 6s is being held under patronage of Abdul Rahman Askar, general secretary of the BOC and international teams participating will include those from Pakistan, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, alongside members of Bahrain hockey clubs.
The BHA helped revive the sport’s popularity in the kingdom by organising the first-ever six-a-side regional contest in the kingdom back in 2010. The open field hockey tournament featured teams representing Bahrain, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and India.
In the past, field hockey was one of the biggest participation sports in Bahrain and the kingdom’s players were the pioneers in the Middle East with about 20 teams.
Although a decade ago the sport began to die down in popularity, in recent years the sport has enjoyed a renaissance and as reported only last week in GulfWeekly expat schoolboy George Axtell, 13, a student at St Christopher’s, has been snapped up to play for the UK Lions.
The latest tournament is being supported by Marvel Technology, Next Black Computers, White Paper Media, Mathias Tourism and GulfWeekly. “Our hockey community, although small, is certainly one of the most active in the GCC and we always welcome support for our events from corporates and organisations to help keep the age-old hockey legacy of Bahrain alive, as it has been played here since the 1940s,” D’Souza added.
For further details, visit https://www.facebook.com/bahrainhockey
