Hockey coach campaigns for project school

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Sivasubramaniam C

Sivasubramaniam C

KUCHING: State women’s hockey head coach Sivasubramaniam Chellappah is very keen to see a project school for girls hockey set up to produce future stars.

He feels that the school is necessary to produce a continuous crop of high calibre players who can play for the state in Sukma, national and international competitions.

“It is high time that the Sarawak government, through the State Education Department, set up a project school for girls hockey,” he told thesundaypost.

“I have highlighted it several times but sad to say, there was no response from the authorities concerned,” lamented Sivasubramaniam who has coached the state women’s hockey team since 2005.

“Here they are not sensitive to hockey. If you concentrate on developing women’s hockey, it will be hard to beat Sarawak.

“Hockey will die a natural death if the project school is not set up as soon as possible,” he warned.

According to Sivasubramaniam, Selangor was the first state to start their project school for hockey.

“What they did was to choose about 30 players in the first year from the Girls Under-12 hockey tournament where nine districts participated. The players were put in the project school with hostel facilities and they will train from Monday to Friday in the morning and evening,” he said.

“The following year, they will take 15 players and 15 players every year after that, and this happens all year-round.

“Once you are a project school recognised by the Education Ministry, they will provide the hockey equipment and allowances for the players,” he added.