Floris Jan Bovelander and Teun de Nooijer were standout performers in their respective area of expertise on the hockey turf. The two Dutch aces from different generations will team up to work with junior players and coaches across three Indian States — Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
Dabang Mumbai, the franchise making its debut in Hockey India League 2015, created a situation for these two world stars to share their knowledge and experience here as part of a tie-up with HC Bloemendaal, a noted club in Netherlands with 13 league titles, besides Euro Hockey League victories.
Both Dutch greats were clear that getting India back to the top in world hockey is necessary for the game to boom. “India is doing quite well at the top, winning the Asian Games gold (direct entry into Rio Olympic Games men’s hockey). It is a little bit empty under the top,” remarked Bovelander.
Teun de Nooijer, named three-time ‘Player of the Year’ by FIH, observed: “Indian hockey talent needs a structure. We (Bloemendaal and Dabang Mumbai) plan to do it together with a development plan so that kids playing with passion can get better.”
As part of a Technical Alliance Partnership with the DoIt Sports Management owned franchise, these two will work with juniors and coaches twice annually during the vacations, starting with Mumbai kids and coaches attached to schools, then spread to DM catchment areas for grassroots development.
DM team mentor Viren Rasquinha explained, “Bovelander and de Nooijer have already conducted a special clinic for coaches attached to schools, followed by a clinic for kids where the entire Mumbai team was present. Twice a year during our vacations, the Bloemendaal team will come to work with our kids and coaches, starting with Mumbai and spreading to the three States.”
Boverlander explained their outlook when conducting kids clinics. “The kids should learn not just skills of hockey, but also skills of life. Hockey will teach them to play by the rules, commitment and result in their development. In Holland, that is how we look at development. Our intent is the same here.”
HC Bloemendaal key officials, Hendrik Goeman Borgesius (chairman) and Joof Verhees (president of Topmusch project) explained that “success” was part of the club culture and it extended to DM, whose owner Radha Kapoor was also present. The two Dutch hockey greats and key club officials were presented with DM jerseys on Friday in the presence of chief coach Valentine Altenburg, Mumbai Hockey Association secretary Ram Singh Rathore.
