Afghanistan Joins 2004 Global Youth Hockey Marathon
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| International Hockey Federation |
May 11, 2004 
FIH
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Young hockey players around the world will join together for the 4th Global Youth Hockey Marathon as part of the International Hockey Federation’s hockey development drive, on 15 - 16 May.
Children from all five continents, in countries as diverse as Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, will take part in special events organised by their national hockey associations. The focus will be on junior hockey club development, in conjunction with the new FIH initiative for Club Development.
Events planned include street hockey in Singapore, youth hockey festivals in Iran, an international coaching clinic in Scotland and a series of national competitions in New Zealand. Of great interest is the participation of Afghanistan, who join in the Global Youth Hockey Marathon for the first time this year. The national association will invite school children to the National Olympic stadium, where they will play matches between children and veterans. The sports minister will be the chief guest and the president of the Afghanistan Hockey Association will give a speech on youth hockey.
The national association that has organised the best Junior Club Development event will win a week-long coaching camp for their juniors, conducted by the Black Tulips, the Dutch ex-international women’s players. The runner up will receive hockey kit with 50 sticks, balls and bibs and the third best country will receive a FUJIFILM Digital FinePix 2600 Zoom Camera.
Anne Ellis, manager of the FIH DCC Group Youth, commented, “It is enormously encouraging to see that both very developed and less developed hockey nations are joining this year’s Marathon. It demonstrates that youth and grass roots development is being taken seriously at all levels, which is building directly on the foundations set by Year of the Youth 2001. This involvement can only be beneficial to young players involved and to the hockey family as a whole.”
More information on the full programme is available on www.worldhockey.org in Development/Youth. Reports and pictures from the participating national associations will be published on the website in the weeks after the event.
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