Author K Arumugam flips open the seventh edition of the Hockey Yearbook The name might be tad of a tongue twister this side of the country but tell a sports enthusiast that K Arumugam was here and chances are hes already sprinting for an autograph book. Having authored more than ten books on hockey,the 51-year-old hockey journalist does have a final word on the game. This Monday morning saw the prolific writer launch the seventh edition of the Hockey Yearbook. Chandigarh is very lucky for me. I remember coming to the city for the Four Nation Pan American tournament in the 90s and I am lucky that I got a chance to unveil the seventh edition of the Hockey Yearbook here today, spoke a visibly pleased Arumugam who has also authored a book on former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey titled Olympic Captain Dilip Tirkey as well well as one on Dhanraj Pillay. In a sport like hockey where accessing statistics is a tough job given the lack of a specific database,Arumugam has been doing commendable work. Apart from authoring books hes happily stepped into the shoes of a statistician since the early nineties with his first Yearbook coming out in 1995. It is a very difficult in hockey to prepare a database. It has taken me years to compile all the data and most of the times I travel on my own with the team. For the first two editions of the Yearbook,I did not get even a single sponsor. It was only later that I managed to get some sponsors in the form of Castrol and Hero Honda, adds Arumugam who is also the co-author of Great Indian Olympians and Golden Boot. If thats not enough,the writer is ready with his new endeavour www.Stick2hockey.com,a website dedicated to live commentary and information about hockey. Its a new website and I am handling all the aspects including the live commentary of the ongoing Punjab Gold Cup, says the commentator who feels hockey needs such mediums to motivate youngsters. I am happy to play a part in the process, he smiles to say. And from what we hear hes already on to another project. I am writing a book on Indian hockey history apart from writing a book titled Glimpses of Women Hockey, shares the author. Clearly,writing is a turf hes happy to play on.
