Amid fears that Hockey 5s will gradually replace the 11-a-side format and make the latter obsolete, the world body (FIH) has assured that it will not prefer the shortest version over the traditional style. Saying that the new edition is a “great story of growth”.
The Indian hockey fraternity is also excited to see a new ‘avatar’ of the game, which it feels will attract the youth to the game.
Following India’s success in Lausanne, where the team won a Hockey 5 event earlier this month, murmurs began over the future of the traditional format.
But FIH CEO Thierry Weil clarified that Hockey 5s is an addition to the traditional format to make the game more popular.
“Hockey 5s are certainly a welcome addition to the traditional version of the game. Right now we just need a much-needed boost that the game of hockey deserves and Hockey 5s has to provide that,” said Weil told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“We sincerely hope that Hockey 5’s continued emergence will greatly benefit Hockey in the years to come. That said, we will never let Hockey 5 dominate the traditional version of the game. We will never let this happen.
“Rather, Hockey 5s will be the gateway to the age-old format. The shortest format once implemented regularly will bring about a massive change in the game of hockey. We understand this and that is why we are eagerly promoting Hockey 5,” insisted the FIH CEO.
Weil believes that both the formats can co-exist, which will certainly prove to be a boon for the game.
“The birth of Hockey 5s is a stellar story of the evolution that hockey as a sport has seen over the years. This could prove to be a game changer in the coming days.
If one closely follows the development of hockey, it is difficult to find any radical changes. The synthetic revolution took place in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, and the use of artificial turf is now mandatory in almost all major international tournaments.
“FIH already plans to host inaugural edition of Hockey 5s” World Cup in Oman in January 2024. The overall aim of this new edition is to make hockey more popular than ever,” Weil said.
Hockey 5s, the shortest version of the game, which recently made its senior debut in Lausanne, is all about fast-paced and short matches, the number of players involved, and most importantly, the overall vibe, Which many believe will largely attract a new pool. Of the audience – youth.
Hockey 5s requires teams to field five players, including the goalkeeper. A match consists of two halves of 10 minutes each and each team can make up to four substitutions. Interestingly, there is no semicircular area or ‘D’ around the sphere. This is important, because in this particular format a player can score from anywhere on the field. However, in the traditional version of the game, it is mandatory to go inside the ‘D’ area and score a goal.
Among other features, there is no penalty corner in Hockey 5s. In the event of a foul, there is a face-off between the attacker and the opposing goalkeeper.
Weil said change is the need of the hour for any sport to survive and hockey is no exception.
“We want every country including India to recognize Hockey 5 as it is done for the greater good to make the game survive longer.
“We understand the concerns raised by many players, fans, but, looking at the many other sports in the world that have already undergone massive changes, I see no reason why the same should not be the case with hockey.” Should be,” he said. Told.
Is hockey following the path of T20 cricket?
the former India Captain Dilip Tirkey does not mind that hockey follows the path of cricket, saying the introduction of Hockey 5s is an important step towards taking the game to the masses.
“If hockey also follows the T20 model of cricket, what is the harm in that? I personally like the shortest version and the overall vibe it brings. What is more interesting is the pace of the game which will surely make it more enjoyable.
“Hockey 5 is, therefore, an important step towards making the game more popular in the days to come,” Tirkey said.
Another former India captain and a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal winning side, Zafar Iqbal is also an advocate of Hockey 5.
“From India’s point of view, Hockey 5s is no different for our country. In fact, India has already hosted some national level Hockey 5 tournaments and it has already gained immense popularity.
“Given the fact that the format attracts youngsters, Hockey 5 is a great thing to do for the future. This format has every material to make the game hugely popular in the days to come,” said Iqbal.
Hockey 5s were first introduced at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics and the format has been a regular feature at the Games since then.
While India did not send its team for the 2014 Games, the country won a silver medal in both the boys’ and girls’ events at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
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