Two Indian hockey umpires to officiate in Tokyo Olympics 2020

Former hockey players Javed Shaikh and Raghuprasad RV are working hard to ensure a successful Tokyo Olympics sojourn. They will be traveling to Tokyo to officiate hockey games as umpires. The duo have a combined experience of officiating in more than 200 international matches. They are the only Indian umpires who will be officiating hockey games at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

In the 7️⃣th episode of #HockeyTeCharcha, we have two International Umpires Javed Sheikh and Raghuprasad RV, who have been appointed by the FIH to officiate at the #TokyoOlympics. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/EGxQd8zJL3

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 25, 2021

Javed Shaikh and Raghuprasad RV said that although the COVID-19 pandemic has pegged them back a few steps, the duo have found ways to deal with the situation.

"Both of us have officiated at the Olympic Games in the past. I was there in Rio (in 2016) and everything was very smooth but this time it has obviously been very different due to the pandemic, and we have had to change our plans due to a series of lockdowns in our respective cities."

Shaikh has also revealed how the umpires usually prepare themselves for any big event.

"In a normal scenario, we would have been on the hockey field going through our drills and fitness routine ahead of a big tournament. However, the pandemic has caused a few setbacks for us. So we had to find ways to deal with it and be prepared for the task," Javed Shaikh said in a podcast organized by Hockey India.

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Umpire Javed Shaikh

Staying in touch with hockey and umpiring has been the major challenge

Although it has been more than a year since Raghuprasad officiated in a match, the umpire lauded Hockey India’s efforts for organizing online sessions to help them stay connected with the sport.

"The last time I officiated in an international match was more than a year back. Due to the pandemic, there have been no tournaments, and we have been unable to travel for any outside assignments either in the last couple of months. But this can't be the reason for me to not officiate to my potential in Tokyo. We have to be on top of the job and deliver the right umpiring decisions."

Raghuprasad thanked Hockey India's efforts to prep them for the Summer Games.

"What helped during this time was Hockey India's efforts to hold regular online sessions for hockey officials where we would discuss match scenarios and watch videos from different tournaments. We also watched the recent European Championships and analyzed how the teams' structure have changed and the new tactics they are using," Raghuprasad explained.

Like players, the umpires also have a Yo-Yo test and a sprint test. Raghuprasad said the dynamics of umpiring have changed a lot, especially after the introduction of the rule of playing four quarters for 15 minutes each.

"Hockey is really fast now. Unlike previously, we have to be in front of the ball and the players today are extremely quick which is why FIH and Hockey India have their guidelines and set benchmarks in fitness. Umpires undergo frequent fitness tests at least four times a year."

Raghuprasad believes fitness is an extremely important aspect of the game in the modern day.

"Like how the players have fitness tests, we have the Yo-Yo and Dal Monte Sprint Test. We need to complete 2200m in the Yo-Yo beep test and sprint 40m in under six seconds. So in that sense fitness is paramount for us umpires as well," Raghuprasad explained.