The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Hong Kong realistic in its approach

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Saturday, Sep 01, 2007
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Hong Kong realistic in its approach

K. Keerthivasan

CHENNAI: For a team making only its third entry into the Asia Cup hockey championship, winning is not at all on the radar rather it’s “the learning experience” that the Hong Kong coach Simon Chapman keeps stressing.

The team is a melting pot of cultures. It’s an eclectic mix of Pakistanis, Indians, Britons and the locals, the Chinese.

Hong Kong made its maiden participation in the Asia Cup in its fifth edition in 1999 at Kuala Lumpur and the subsequent one also in Kuala Lumpur in 2003.

“We are looking at the future. We are building a team for the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong and 2010 Asian Games in China,” said Chapman.

“We have eight debutants in the side.”

Not only greenhorns

It’s not that the side is full of greenhorns.

It has a few players with varied experience. Brothers Arif Ali and Akbar Ali are examples. The two have played in the earlier two editions of the Asia Cup.

In fact, in 1999 and 2003 at Kuala Lumpur, four siblings — Asghar Ali and Asif Ali, the other two, are not part of the team here — did put up a good show individually there.

Does the coach find it difficult to train the team with different languages and outlook?

“No”, said Chapman.

“I haven’t faced any problems since almost everybody understands English.

The Chinese help themselves if they have a problem by talking in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect,” said the Kiwi.

Chapman is clear on what he wants.

“We want to finish ahead of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh in the 7th Asia Cup. That’s our realistic target.”

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