This show sees the interviewee take centre stage as we talk at length to former Belgian Hockey International Marc Coudron who has decided to run for the Presidency of the International Hockey Federation on May 22nd.
Mr Coudron is one of the team at Belgium Hockey who put in place a plan that has seen the national men’s team climb the world Rankings to be number one and also be World and European Champions. Yet the election will not be easy for the incumbent Dr Narinder Batra in 2016 became the first non-European to head up the sport and there will be some nations that will not be keen to see control return to Europe. The key is for the stakeholders to do what they think is best for the game as a whole rather than enter into a debate about geography or personalities.
In this extended interview Marc Coudron talks about a range of issues but most importantly of all the importance to listen and help the lower ranked nations put in place structures that see them able to grow the game which will ultimately make the sport stronger in a global context.
Due to the length of the interview we only have one topic under discussion in this episode and prompted by some recent high profile posts on social media we ask should the Olympic Games really go ahead. If they do should athletes be forced to participate if they do not wish to take such a risk? It is a situation that is not an enviable one for any competitor or official to be faced with, ultimately should that decision come down to each individual?
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Perhaps in another world it would be up to an individual to decide whether or not to attend an Olympics his country selected him or her for and there would be no repercussions of any sort, but we are in this world. The pressures would be immense, no individual would want to feel he/she was letting the team down as well as denying themself the only chance they were likely to get to participate.
There may be a case for restricting spectators to those under sixty years old, but I can’t accept that there is good reason for either individuals or teams to be withdrawn from this event.
Thank you for your comment Martin. Although that has been the case so far the recent third and fourth waves are now attacking people in the age brackets that you talk about. I know two athletes who have unfortunately caught Covid, and although both have recovered they have stated that it has impaired their breathing and recovery times. Personally as stated I believe it should be up to each individual athlete, with no discrimination should they wish to withdraw.
I agree 100% with you in relation to your second point. As my Co-host John Lee wrote in Hockey World News is it time Hockey withdrew from the Olympics?
Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
The Olympic Games should go ahead. When writing about risk it is necessary to consider how many fit young athletes world wide have been seriously ill because of Covid – never mind hospitalized or died because of it. The risk to healthy individuals under the age of thirty is realistically zero.
A better question in my view is:- Does hockey want to continue to be part of the Olympics if the cost of doing that is to degrade the game for the sake of television spectators during the Games? (spectators who may in any case have no interest in hockey after the games are finished). The introduction of Hockey 5’s, for which there was no demand at all, is an example of hockey jumping through the IOC hoop.