Hockey India (HI) has asserted that Belgium’s public expression of displeasure on Indians sweeping the FIH annual awards is nothing in need of “racial discrimination” and the world physique ought to provoke an intensive investigation into the matter.
In a strongly-worded letter to International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Thierry Weil, HI President Gyanendro Ningombam mentioned that Belgium and its gamers questioning the voting system was disrespectful in direction of the Indian winners and demeaning their achievements.
“The public statements of displeasure at the announcement of the Indian winners is highly disrespectful and not in the spirit of sportsmanship and the sport of hockey,” Ningombam wrote within the letter.
“The objections on behalf of Belgium Federation for 2021 winners needs to be carefully examined by the FIH Governance Panel for what is considered by myself as a case of discrimination/racial discrimination.”
Ningombam mentioned the lndian gamers and coaches have legitimately received the polls most often throughout all classes however the achievement has been completely undermined by unfavourable feedback by fellow athletes and nationwide associations.
“… how humiliating, mentally traumatic and insulting it is to the Indian athletes and coaches. Hockey India cannot stand by and allow the efforts and achievements of Indian athletes and coaches to be questioned in this manner…,” he mentioned.
“ls it fair that the hard work and efforts of these athletes are being scrutinised and they are being put through such harassment and mental intimidation?” he requested.
India swept the FIH annual awards on October 6, claiming all the highest honours based mostly on a voting system which was lambasted as a “failure” by males’s Olympic champions Belgium, prompting the FIH to say that it might attempt to determine why some associations didn’t forged their poll.
Five Indian gamers and the top coaches of each the lads’s and girls’s groups in Tokyo claimed the highest honours throughout totally different classes after fetching the utmost votes. The males’s hockey staff had received a bronze, its first in 41 years, within the Tokyo Olympics, whereas the ladies’s facet had completed an unprecedented fourth within the showpiece.
The HI president requested Weil to request the Belgium federation to difficulty an official public apology for the “demeaning” feedback on the achievements of the lndian gamers and coaches on social media.
“If not, refer this matter to the FIH Governance Panel for thorough investigation into what is discrimination/racial discrimination against the lndian athletes and coaches.”
After Belgium questioned the voting system, the FIH had identified that the Indian award winners topped every of the voting teams that additionally concerned the nationwide associations and media.
It had additionally mentioned that solely 19 associations from the 42-strong European bloc forged their votes, in comparison with 29 out of 33 in Asia.
Votes from National Associations — represented by their respective captains and coaches — accounted for 50 per cent of the general end result, whereas followers and gamers (25 per cent) in addition to media (25 per cent) made the opposite half of the votes.
“Hockey lndia made nice efforts to make sure good participation throughout all classes from our nation and now really feel publicly penalised for the complete hearted participation and assist of the lndian nominees.
“It is disappointing that the Belgium Federation would like to query the voting system and the legitimacy of the lndian winners then really take accountability for not encouraging extra voting and supporting their athletes within the first place.
“The core of the matter is that these national associations need to first introspect to see their actual level of participation and interest right from the start instead of now questioning the system once results are announced not in their favour.”
He additionally identified that Belgium federation had secured winners after the 2016 Rio Olympics though they completed second and gold medal successful Argentine staff didn’t get a single award.
“All awards in men (after 2016 Olympics) went to Belgium, then there was no questioning of the voting system,” he mentioned.
Ningombam additionally mentioned “it’s shameful that European Hockey Federation is sitting quiet and not taking responsibility for the lack of activation and seriousness in voting by their Member Associations while also allowing their athletes and Member Associations undermine the results and showing disrespect to the winners”.
Weil had on Monday mentioned that the FIH would create a activity power to work on its international awards choice course of however asserted that the winners wouldn’t have been totally different even with out followers’ votes.
Tag: Gurjit Kaur
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Hockey India chief phrases Belgium’s feedback on Indians sweeping FIH awards as racial discrimination
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Indians sweep FIH’s hockey awards; Olympic champions left empty-handed
Australia’s Kieran Govers puzzled if this was ‘April Fools in October’. Belgium’s Victor Wegnez referred to as it a ‘joke’. Germany’s captain on the Tokyo Olympics, Tobias Hauke, labeled the choice course of as ‘ridiculous’. Britain’s Zach Wallace stated it was ‘shameless’. Argentina’s Gonzalo Peillat used the hashtag ‘skandal’ whereas 4 Dutch gamers didn’t have any phrases; they only used ‘ROFL’ emojis.
Belgium males and the Netherlands ladies received the gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics. But India swept all of the awards. And the hockey world is up in arms unanimously, criticizing the voting system deployed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to find out the winners. The sharp reactions have pushed the FIH right into a nook, and the world physique has stated they may assessment their course of.
The winners
The FIH, on Wednesday, introduced that India made a clean-sweep of its annual awards. It’s the primary time {that a} nation has received in all eight classes.
Gurjit Kaur was named as the perfect girl participant whereas Harmanpreet Singh was the perfect male. Savita Punia and PR Sreejesh have been chosen as the perfect goalkeepers on the earth whereas Sharmila Devi and Vivek Sagar Prasad have been elected as the perfect rising stars.Here are the reactions of the winners of the Men’s Awards!#HockeyStarsAwards @13harmanpreet @16Sreejesh @VivekSagarpras1 @reidgj @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/kiXCa97pfs
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
Savita was one of many heroes of India’s unprecedented run on the Tokyo Games, making dozens of saves, particularly within the quarterfinals towards Australia. Sreejesh, too, stood out for India in crunch conditions the place he made match-winning interceptions, none extra essential than the save he made within the bronze medal match towards Germany with simply 7 seconds remaining. Harmanpreet and Gurjit scored essential objectives from penalty corners whereas Sharmila and Vivek added to their rising repute with some stellar contributions all through the marketing campaign.
Graham Reid, who helped India win an Olympic medal after 41 years, and Sjoerd Marijne, whose ladies’s staff completed a creditable fourth, have been named the perfect coaches.
Marijne, who’s now teaching Dutch membership HC Tilburg, stated the award ‘wouldn’t be potential’ with out Janneke Schopman, who has succeeded him as the ladies’s staff chief coach, power and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard, his assist employees and ‘a team which was always willing to push themselves.’Congratulations to all winners of the Women’s Awards! #HockeyStarsAwards
Player of the yr – @gurjit02Goalkeeper of the yr – @savitahockeyRising Star of the yr – Sharmila DeviCoach of the yr – @SjoerdMarijne@TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/RZmYGTLXWB
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
How they have been chosen
The FIH makes use of a web-based voting system to find out the winners in all classes. As per the world physique, the votes from the nationwide associations, who’re represented by their captains and coaches, counted for 50 % of the general end result. The media had a 25 % share whereas the remaining 25 % was shared between the followers and gamers.FIH assertion concerning the FIH #HockeyStarsAwards voting course of pic.twitter.com/6lvgEZHFkO
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
Out of its 137 member associations, 79 participated within the voting course of (11 out of 25 from Africa, 29 out of 33 from Asia, 19 out of 42 from Europe, 3 out of 8 from Oceania, and 17 out of 30 from Pan America). The FIH added {that a} document 300,000 followers forged their votes.
India’s gamers acquired the utmost vote share from all three sections. Only within the Best Coach class, Belgium’s Shane McLeod and the Netherlands’ Alyson Annan acquired a bigger share of votes from the nationwide associations however acquired overwhelmed within the general rely after including media and fan votes.
System underneath scanner
There have been another debatable factors as properly.
For occasion, Alexander Hendrickx scored 14 objectives on the Tokyo Olympics, essentially the most, together with a hat-trick towards India within the semifinals and a penalty within the tie-breaker towards Australia within the remaining. Eva de Goede, considered essentially the most full participant of her technology, orchestrated Netherlands’ march to the highest of the rostrum; her third Olympic gold after 2008 and 2012, along with a silver at Rio 2016. Both, nonetheless, completed as runners-up of their classes.
Immediately after the announcement, gamers from all around the world criticised the voting system in a single voice. Hockey Belgium stated on social media that they have been ‘very disappointed with the outcome of the awards’. “A gold winning team with multiple nominees in all categories but doesn’t win a single award demonstrates failure of the voting system. We will work with FIH to ensure a fairer system in the future,” the world and Olympic champions stated, including in one other tweet that this could as a substitute be referred to as ‘Public’s Choice of the Year’.
Several worldwide gamers, whereas underling that India’s gamers and coaches have been to not be blamed and recognising the progress made in the previous few years, mocked the system used to find out the winners on social media. “FIH, you should think about the system as soon as possible,” Hauke wrote on his Instagram. “It’s ridiculous and does not help us to make sport more professional. Nerveless (Nevertheless), congratulations to all Indian players; Hockey India, you (have) done a great job over the past years – and now bring back the Hockey India League – it is time again!”
The FIH defended the method saying that the winners would have been the identical even when ‘one or two of these voting groups would not have been involved’. But they added that they ‘will conduct a review of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards and make adjustments wherever deemed necessary.’There was no response from Hockey India, the nationwide staff gamers or males’s coach Reid.
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We have turn into fearless since Tokyo Olympics: Gurjit Kaur
Indian ladies’s hockey group drag-flick specialist Gurjit Kaur says the gamers have turn into fearless since their historic fourth-place end on the Tokyo Olympics.
Gurjit was one of many architects of the group’s effective run to the semifinals in Tokyo and has been nominated for the FIH Women’s Player of the Year Award 2020-21.
The 25-year-old defender scored the all-important objective within the beautiful 1-0 win over fancied Australia within the quarterfinals.
“Even though we missed out on winning the medal by a whisker, there are a lot of positives to take from this dream campaign,” she was quoted as saying by Hockey India.
“People have began watching us, and I’m positive our efficiency will encourage younger ladies to take up hockey. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 marks the start of a brand new period of Indian hockey.
“We have gained a lot of confidence, we have become fearless, and going forward it will certainly help us perform well in major tournaments. I also hope we get the same amount of love and respect going forward.”
Speaking on her nomination for FIH Women’s Player of the Year Award, Gurjit stated it was a reward for her onerous work and sacrifice.
“It’s an enormous achievement for me to be nominated for the FIH Women’s Player of the Year Award 2020-2021.
“For an athlete, it’s one of the best moments when all your hard work and sacrifices get recognised at a world level, and I am really happy to see my name on that list. It will give me extra motivation to do even better for the team.”
The group missed out on a podium by a whisker, shedding to Great Britain within the bronze medal play-off match.
When requested about that decisive objective in opposition to Australia, which helped the group script historical past on the Olympics, Gurjit stated, “I believe that’s my job, and I simply did it. My job is to drag-flick, and I received an opportunity, which I transformed.
“No doubt, there’s my identify on the scoresheet, however that doesn’t imply it was mine alone, it was a group objective.
“Each one of us contributed to it, from the defence line to midfielders, to strikers, who created the penalty corner, and eventually, it was my responsibility to convert it.” -
Indian girls hockey staff engaged on penalty nook conversion and defence: Gurjit
Image Source : HOCKEY INDIA File picture of Gurjit Kaur.
Building as much as the Olympic Games in July, the Indian girls’s hockey staff is eager on making each alternative rely and the 8-match tour in Argentina gives one such alternative the place the staff can assess their recreation. “Playing against a strong team like Argentina in their home ground won’t be easy but our focus will be on bringing out our best play against them. This will be our first competitive match in almost a year and we are keen on learning where we stand in terms of fitness and execution against a top team like Argentina who are currently ranked No.2 in the world,” acknowledged India’s ace dragflicker Gurjit Kaur.
She added that will probably be a great check to evaluate their psychological and bodily energy. “We worked really hard on our fitness over the past 11 months in SAI and the aim was to return to our best form. It is against teams like Argentina where we can test our potential,” she mentioned.Having cloaked a couple of good classes of hockey after arriving in Argentina, Gurjit feels the staff is shaping up effectively forward of their first recreation on Sunday. “We have been here nearly ten days and have got a few sessions on the pitch. We have paid extra attention to areas such as PC conversion and PC defending. We need to be alert in our defence if we have to do well against Argentina,” she mentioned.
While the staff’s focus is on ticking off all of the containers forward of their first recreation, Gurjit emphasised the significance of following protocols as a result of on-going pandemic. “We are extremely grateful to Hockey India and the Argentina Federation for ensuring a safe bio bubble environment here. We are in a good hotel which is about 20-25 minutes’ drive from the ground, the food is good and SOPs on the ground is followed to the T. It’s important to be responsible and just focus on the job at hand.,” Gurjit acknowledged.