National hockey coaches, former Olympian, Md. Riaz and international C. R. Kumar, were felicitated on Wednesday by the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUTN) at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.
Md. Riaz was assistant to the Australian coach, Michael Nobbs, at Ordos, where India triumphed in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy on Sunday beating Pakistan via the tie-breaker by four goals to two.
Complimenting the players for the single-minded devotion in achieving the target against a formidable rival, Md. Riaz said the victory opened a new chapter for Indian hockey.
He was particularly impressed by the role played by Kullu as full back and Sunil and Walmiki in the attack. “These youngsters have a tremendous future,” Md. Riaz noted.
Refusing to be drawn into a discussion related to the prize money fiasco after the return, Md. Riaz felt that the ministry should treat the support staff as part of the players' group and be made eligible for full cash awards.
At the moment, the assistant coaches get only 50 per cent of what a player gets from the Government as cash incentives.
Although officially defender Rupinder and goal-keeper Sreejesh, who played an outstanding role in the tie- breaker, represent Tami Nadu because of their employment here, Riaz is the only official in the team hailing from the State.
He deserves suitable recognition from the State Government, which has enhanced the cash awards for achievements in international competitions.
C. R. Kumar, the chief coach for the women's team, is striving his best to carve a new path. India finished fourth in the four-team event, but missed the bronze, which it was defending, went down to Japan after dominating the proceedings.
Ms. Renuka Lakshmi, Secretary, HUTN, welcomed the gathering and congratulated the men's team for the victory at Ordos. She also expressed her thanks to the Chief Minister, Ms. J. Jayalalithaa, for hiking the prize money to achievers and hoped that the sportspersons in the State would take advantage of the incentives offered by the State Government and strive for excellence in all competitions.
