FIH Academy along with Hockey India to conduct Courses for Technical Officials, Umpires and aspiring Coaches

Bhubaneswar, 03 June 2019: Even as the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium prepares to host the much-awaited FIH Men's Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019, FIH Academy and hosts Hockey India will be conducting a Series of Courses for Technical Officials, Umpires and aspiring Coaches on the sidelines of the event which is part of the important 2020 Tokyo Olympic Qualifying pathway.

Starting 4 June 2019, FIH Academy - Hockey India Level 2 Technical Officials Course will be held at the venue. The two-day course will be conducted by FIH Academy Technical Official Educator Iain Dugald Mckay, FIH International Advancement Panel Technical Official. The course will be delivered in a contemporary style with interactive sessions and practical course work. Eight officials have registered to take part in this course.

This will be followed by the FIH Academy - Hockey India Level 2 Umpiring course to be held from 8 June to 10 June 2019. The course will be conducted and presented by FIH Academy Umpiring Educator Robert Willem ten Cate, who is also the FIH Pro League Panel Umpire Manager. The course will be engaging and interactive with real-time match scenarios coupled with practical course work. A total of 11 Umpires have registered for this course.

"Through these courses, FIH Academy and Hockey India aim to provide education and resources to develop Umpires and Technical Officials that are currently at the National Level. Since these are held on the sidelines of the FIH Men's Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019, presenters of these courses can make the sessions interactive as they will be following on-ground action too," stated Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad, President, Hockey India.

From 11 June to 14 June 2019, FIH Academy Educator Course will be held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium. The course will be conducted and presented by Mike Joyce, Executive Director – The Hockey Foundation and FIH Development Director. The purpose of the course is to effectively equip the attendees with practical knowledge and on-ground scenarios. There are total of seven attendees from India, Kenya, Japan and Netherlands.

The FIH Academy - Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level 1 Coaching Course will also be from 12 June to 14 June 2019. The course will be conducted and presented by FIH Academy Educator Darren Cheesman, Talent Development Coach from the Royal Belgium Hockey Association. The FIH Academy Coaching Level 1 Award is a vocational qualification that provides students with the opportunity to study and be assessed on their coaching theoretical knowledge. It also provides the opportunity for formative assessment and development planning. After the successful conduct of Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway across 4 zones of the country and also at National Institute of Sports, Patiala; Hockey India Level 'Basic' and Level '1' Coaching Course received overwhelming response with over 150 candidates attending the course. After successfully completing Hockey India Level '1' and Level '2' Coaching Course, over 35 candidates have become eligible for the FIH Academy - Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level 1 Coaching Course who will attend this course along with a candidate from Singapore.

FIH Development Director Mike Joyce commented, “It is essential for global hockey development that the FIH works closely with top hockey nation members across all areas of the game. Education is one of the four pillars of Hockey4LIFE, our global development programme, and we are delighted to be working with Hockey India to develop Coaching and Umpiring pathways that will certainly form templates that will benefit other hockey nations in future.

This is only possible because of Hockey India’s commitment with the renewal of their Umpire and Coach Education structure and programmes."

He added that, “in this partnership Hockey India, Asian Hockey Federation and FIH are using their expertise to develop a modern national performance pathway from grassroots to elite level, with full integration into FIH education programmes.”

He concluded: “Successful candidates from Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway have been invited to an FIH Academy Level 1 Coaching Course to be held alongside the FIH Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019. Together with this 3 more courses will take place: an FIH Academy Level 2 for Technical Officials, an FIH Academy Level 2 for Umpires and, finally an Educator course where Hockey India Educators in the areas of Coaching, Umpiring and Technical Officiating will be attending.

We are very well impressed with the popularity of the programmes and we encourage Hockey India to maintain their commitment with Development and Education!"