IN 1982 a youth left Pakistan for a coaching stint in Belgium and never returned. His passion in hockey saw him move to China for seven years, before finally calling Macau his home. Datuk Tayyab Ikram, CEO of Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), speaks with Timesport.
QUESTION: How have the AHF helped their Asean members to improve?
ANSWER: In the recent Kuala Lumpur Sea Games, Myanmar won their first ever silver medal in men’s hockey and it did not fall from a tree.
The AHF had worked with Myanmar hockey for 17 months, by sending coaches (from Pakistan) and other expertise to help their game improve and they also managed to hold previous silver medallists Singapore to a 2-2 draw.
Myanmar toured and played in Malaysia for a month and went to China to train and play just for the Sea Games.
All this was done with the help of the AHF, and in the end, they won a satisfying silver and hockey received a big boost in the country.
In the same manner, we have sent many Malaysian coaches to Brunei and hope to see results soon.
It’s difficult to get some of the Asean countries to play hockey because of infrastructure, but countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Singapore are being nudged on by the AHF.
Q: Tournament-wise, do the AHF organise enough to keep their members busy?
A: The premier tournaments are the Asian Games, Asia Cup, Asian Champions Trophy and we also help at the Sea Games level.
We also organise the Junior Asia Cup, Under-18 Asia Cup and AHF Cup and indoor tournaments as well for our members.
These tournaments are both for men and women and have been organised with great success over the years. The Asian Games is an Olympics qualifier while the Asia Cup is a World Cup qualifier and teams take great pains to prepare for these tournaments.
And during the ongoing Asia Cup, AHF managed to sign on Oman to host another new tournament — the men’s Asian Games Qualifier which will be held in March for the lower ranked Asian teams.
The AHF’s goal is to ensure we have 12 participating nations at the Asian Games in Jakarta as there have never been more than 10 teams and this time, we want to ensure the full quota is utilised.
Previously the national Olympic councils of some countries block the entry of their teams, citing lack of funds, but they can’t deny teams which have won a berth in a Qualifier.
The top-six in Asia will automatically qualify for the Asian Games, while 12 teams will be invited for the Oman Qualifier and six will play in Jakarta.
The women’s Asian Games Qualifier will be held in Thailand on the same basis.
Q: What is hampering the development of hockey in Asia?
A: We have 31 member countries in the AHF, and money is the biggest problem.
Right now Malaysia are No 1 and India No 2 in funding from their respective governments and sponsors, and the results are there for all to see.
Other Asian teams are struggling because they do not have enough money for development as well as to sustain their elite teams (men and women).
One good, but sad, example is South Korea.
Once a feared team in the world, South Korea are now struggling by recalling retired players because they do not have proper funding like before for development, coaching staff and other necessities.
The AHF are also helping by organising more tournaments in certain countries like Bangladesh, which can also be used as a neutral venue in the future, so that more money will be forthcoming for development here.
Q: Any plans for another tournament on the AHF calendar?
A: We are in the midst of planning for an Asian Super 4s, with Australia as the invited team. The World No 2’s inclusion will help not only to promote but also develop the game in this region by playing quality matches.
It should take off by next year, as we are still looking for a suitable month in 2018’s cramped calendar.
It is sad that only India are in the top-10 in the world now (No 6) while Malaysia (12th), South Korea (13th) and Pakistan (14th) are out of the world’s elite radar.
This Super 4, hopefully, makes the difference we are looking for.
Q: How is the women’s game progressing in this region?
A: China (World No 8), South Korea (9th), Japan (11th) and India (12th) are holding on well even though they face many more challenges than the men. The AHF are also helping women’s hockey by providing the relevant expertise.
There are also a number of opportunities for national associations to receive grants and support from the International Olympic Committee, and the AHF help secure it in any way they can.
Q: How do you personally see Malaysia’s progress in the last decade?
A: Malaysia had and have many capable leaders over the years who have taken the sport to a new level.
Qualifying for the World Cup by finishing fourth in London is a milestone as they finished ahead of India, South Korea, Pakistan and China.
Money from the government and sponsors has spurred development at grassroots and the AHF are very pleased with Malaysia’s progress. They have also invested in renowned coach Terry Walsh to help local coaches learn and develop further.
Malaysia and India are now the role model for hockey development in Asia, which will be difficult act to follow by countries which lack funding, but needs to be emulated for future success.
Q: Your most memorable moments in the AHF?
A: It has to be working under the late Sultan Azlan Shah, when he was the president of the Asian Hockey Federation and Malaysian Hockey Federation.
He was such a gentleman, a man with great passion for hockey. He worked not only for Malaysia, but had all the other 30 member countries in mind as well.
The same strength is being displayed by our current president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.