Field hockey

Hockey anyone?

Yes, hockey, but not the one that is played on ice nor on roller skates where you hit a puck, but field hockey, which is very popular in Europe, South Asia, and Australia.

Although the sport is not exactly new in our country, the Philippine Hockey Association (PHA) headed by my good friend Charles Lim, is working really hard to get people interested in the sport.

Yesterday, I had a chance to talk about hockey with Charles and our newly-appointed executive director of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), Gene Faelnar.

Charles is looking for a home for hockey and for the equipment donated by the international body.

For those eager to don the national colors, this sport could be the shortcut to such since the number of players nationwide is not yet that many yet.

Of course, a long-term program is always best to follow for any sport. The field that is going to be built at the South Reclamation Project (SRP) would be an ideal venue, but then this form of hockey can also be played indoors.

Gene, who had a first-hand look at the sticks and how to dribble the ball yesterday, said that he would try to bring the sport to barangay Guadalupe, where his father is the barangay captain. I hope this is the start that Charles is looking for to get the game going in Cebu.

I also had a chance to talk to my childhood buddy, Councilor Robert John 'Jojo' Selma of Minglanilla and he said he'll be interested to discuss the matter after the Kabanhawan Festival of our hometown on Easter Sunday.

Charles said that the international body is very much willing to extend its support to the development of hockey in our country, but we have to start getting the numbers first.

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Do you know that cricket is being played in Cebu?

If you are a regular at the Cebu City Sports Center, then you probably have seen a group of players enjoy the game, which is still something that an ordinary Pinoy sports fan still has to comprehend.

The game is actually a lot easier to understand than we think. Maybe we can also start picking up this game and be good at it.

Cricket is also big in South Asia, the United Kingdom and in Asutralia and New Zealand.

Sports after all is not just basketball and I hope that our politicians can start to be creative and support other sporting events where we have a chance to be good at in the international level.

It is probably dreaming, but then if we don't dream we won't move forward. Who knows, the next major international cricket or field hockey star could be your child?

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I just got word that the Seniors Fellowship Golf Tournament originally set today at Mercedes Plantation Golf and Country Club in Medellin has been moved to April 22.

This is to give those playing in the UBS tournament at the Cebu Country Club today a chance to join.

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