by Jay Ooi
Unknown to most
members of RSC, the hockey section has it's weekly practise sessions twice a
week at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium in Jalan Duta.
It is held every
Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm to 8.30pm. Most of the regular RSC hockey boys and
sometimes girls will turn out in full force to get their weekly work out, as
well as the weekly fix of the cool amber liquid after the games.
Friendly matches are arranged with other
social clubs to give our guys match practise. Depending on the oppositions,
games are sometimes competitive but most are on a friendly sociable pace.
We have Malaysia's very own hockey legend,
Dato Poon Fook Loke turning up without fail for every game. One has to admire
the man, for he is now in his 60's and yet still a delight to watch on the
pitch, though at times he can be a pain because of his incessant shouting of
orders to his fellow players. Ask any of the guys and they will tell you that
Dato is a sight for sore eyes because he is the one who makes sure that
refreshments are ever present after every practise session. What dedication I
tell you!
Another chap you will see at the session is
Bobby Ho. A senior member of the section, you will see him chasing after
opponents during a match. Maybe it's due to the fact that he is either getting
a wee bit older in age or he could be confused by Dato's shouts.
Colin Sta Maria is another regular every
week. An ex international and former coach of Malaysia, he is the captain of
RSC Hockey. Always leading the RSC Dogs, you'll see him dribbling past one,
two, even three players of the opposition, whilst orchestrating our team's
attack! Still packing a hefty shot, Colin without fail will score regularly for
the team.
Also joining is K. Mohan, the last man or
defender of the team – the sturdy rock in defence, though nowadays a bit slower
in stopping the younger opponents. But stop them he will, by all means
possible!
Then there's the MAS boys as they're fondly
referred to due to their professional association with the airline. Johnathan,
Casey, Bernard, Alex and Capt Azman will pop in if their schedule permits.
Our "Jamaican import" Judith
tends to drop by if she's ever in town as well.
We use to have George Koshy joining us in
the past but maybe due to his work commitments, he has not been present of
late.
There are plenty of other colourful
characters who join in the fun as well!
So, if ever you are free and thinking of having a good sweat on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, you are most welcome to drop by and join the guys for some fun.
Don't worry about not having the right
equipment or not knowing the game. Just bring along your running shoes and take
the first step. We guarantee you will not have any regrets.