R. Pathmarajah was seated in the very last row in the Datuk Ho Koh Chye Hall at Hotel Olympic Malaysia three Saturdays ago.
While waiting for the Malaysia Olympians Association annual general meeting cum election to begin, Pathmarajah spoke about the veteran’s hockey team that won bronze at the World Grand Masters in Tokyo.
The conversation with the decorated hockey player and Olympian, who made headlines in the 70s, came about after a picture of the winning Malaysian team was sent to the writer by Johor Hockey Association president Datuk Manjit Majid Abdullah (main image).
I was amazed by the spirit of the sixty-somethings who went on to make the country proud. I know some 30- and 40-year-olds who can’t run for more than 10 solid minutes, let alone play a sport competitively.
Pathmarajah shared the same enthusiasm but went on to say: “If you think our guys are fit, wait till you see the Europeans.”
“Our boys will be in knee guards, elbow guards, and will be suffering from aches and pains after the first match, while the European players seem fit and strong.
“The problem is, our team will only be assembled just before a competition takes place. The players do it out of passion, their love for the sport. Other veteran players prepare for such meets.”
He is mindful of the fact that athletes, upon retiring from the sports world, have to play catch-up in the corporate world.
“But there should be some incentive for them to continue playing. Perhaps the stakeholders can organise regular matches for former athletes so that they can continue to be a part of the sport.”
Undoubtedly, it is easier said than done. For starters, the turnout of the MOA’s annual general meeting was rather low, given the fact that Malaysia has 353 Olympians.
Former athletes often shy away from getting back into the sport for various reasons. Some are busy building a career. Others are investing their time and energy raising a family. There are those who are bitter, insisting that they “gave so much to the country” and had received nothing in return. As such, they don’t see the need to give back.
They are all entitled to their opinions. But let’s not deny those who still want to play a role in the sporting world. It would be great to see the guardians of the sport – in this case the Malaysian Hockey Confederation – setting aside a small investment just to get the veterans category going. Such an effort can be monetised, too.
There have been one-off veteran tournaments in the country, but it would be better if there’s something for every age group on a monthly, if not weekly, basis.
What if the association managed to convince and gather a good number of ex-players to take part in a coaching clinic cum leadership training cum league every weekend. Sounds overwhelming?
It isn’t.
Start the morning by getting these greats to offer some tips to youngsters, inspire them with their past tales and then play a match with a team comprising the young and the elderly. Now that’s a wholesome family activity that will take no more than four hours, if done right.
Now imagine this happening every week. The kids will have access to our hockey greats, and the veterans will get to sweat it out and prepare for tournaments.
Such an initiative could also very well help create a sporting society.
Well done to our veterans who returned with a podium finish in Tokyo. Here’s to seeing more Malaysians returning with medals and honours for the nation.
