Kahlon
Sports
Four Sikh-Canadians in Olympics Field Hockey
The roster of the Canadian men's field hockey team has been officially declared, sending 18 athletes to the Olympic pitch for the first time since Sydney 2000.
"It has been a seven-year struggle to get to these Games during which we did not qualify for any major event and we failed to qualify for Athens 2004", Wayne Fernandes told Field Hockey Canada. "Qualifying for Beijing is the achievement of a lifetime".
The players were nominated for the Olympic squad on June 30, 2008, by FHC and head coach Louis Mendonca of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The roster comprises a mix of veterans and newcomers.
It includes four Sikh-Canadians:
Ranjeev Singh Deol, Campbellville, Ontario
Ravi Singh Kahlon, Victoria, British Columbia
Bindi Singh Kullar, Surrey, British Columbia
Sukhwinder ‘Gabbar' Singh, Surrey, British Columbia
"These [eighteen] athletes have trained hard for years, they love field hockey and are so proud to be nominated to represent Canada on the Olympic world stage - they will give their absolute best. I am confident that our top eight goal will be reached at the Beijing Games", said Mendonca.
"Qualifying for the 2008 Olympics was a feat in itself, because we are a very small nation as far as the game is concerned. We will be meeting nations such as Pakistan that are drawing from pools of millions of players - in Canada, we have a pool of 10,000, but we play with heart and soul", said Canadian team manager Ajay Dube.
The team begins a week of training on July 4 in Vancouver. Another camp will be held in Victoria from July 17 to 23.
They'll kick off their Olympic quest in an opening match against Australia (ranked second in the world) on August 12.
Canada will then face Pakistan (ranked sixth) on August 14, the Netherlands (ranked third) on August 15, Great Britain (ranked eighth) on August 17, and South Africa (ranked thirteenth) on August 20.
The gold medal game will be played on August 24. Canada's best Olympic placing was 10th for the men's team in 2000, 1984 and 1976; and fifth for the women in 1984. The women did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games.
"Field Hockey has the distinction of being the largest team sport played by both men and women in the world", said Field Hockey Canada President Mary Cicinelli. "The athletes representing Canada are terrific role models for the sport. Seeing them play at the Olympics will inspire a new generation of players".
For info on Sikh Olympian hockey players, umpires and coaches who have represented eight different nations in various Olympics Games, visit: http://www.sikhhockeyolympians.com/
[With assistance from reports by CBC Sports and FieldHockey.com]
July 1, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Kuljit Pandher (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), July 02, 2008, 12:52 PM.
This is awesome! Our community should showcase these individuals, their skills, determination and hard work, in an attempt to provide some excellent role models to our youth. Field hockey has a great history in the Sikh and Punjabi culture. It is great to see Sikhs raised in Canada rising to the top of this sport, especially considering the dismal state of Indian Field Hockey these days. Kudos to these young men and all the best at the olympics!
2: Bhupinde Singh Ghai (New Delhi, India), July 03, 2008, 1:49 AM.
It surely is great news. We should promote sports like Hockey, Soccer and horse-riding, not to mention javeline throws, fencing and wrestling, etc., where Sikhs/Punjabis have a natural talent. Unfortunately, some of us today show our bravery in consuming ridiculous amounts of alcohol. It appears that concepts such as "bravery" and "chivalry" are long forgotten in our dictionary.
3: Manjeet Singh Panesar (United Kingdom), July 17, 2008, 5:13 AM.
Being an ex-Olympian from the 1984 Olympics, I would like to congratulate the new Olympians and wish them best of luck at the games. Would like Rajeev Deol to contact me, please. As a youngster, he used to train under our guidance at the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi, Kenya.