Tags:
Journalism of Courage
When Philip Sunkel decided to play for the World Series Hockey,he knew he was joining a league that wasnt official but was attempting to bring money to the game. That,however,was not a concern for the German forward,who knows what it means to star in a new venture.
He was one of the stars for Hamburgs Uhlenhorster Hockey Club that won the first edition of the Euro Hockey League,the biggest club competition in Europe. It is the same everywhere. When the Euro league started in 2008,no one took it seriously in the first season. From the next year,it was a prestigious event, he says,trying to find similarities with the WSH.
He does accept,though,that the level of competition is much different. The top guys in Europe played there because it was an official competition. But I know it for a fact that if it wasnt for the threat of sanctions and penalties,all the top guys from Germany would be playing here too, he says.
Sunkel,who for almost half a decade was a consistent performer for the German national hockey team,has not wavered in his stint here. Even though his team Delhi Wizards have won just one game so far in the competition they lost to Chennai Cheetahs 5-2 on Monday Sunkel,with his lanky frame,bald look and incisive runs down the right and accurate angles inside the D has been the stand-out performer for the team.
Fitness is an issue. We go all out in the first half,then run out of steam in the second. It is a concern. We dont have much time to train in WSH because we are always travelling,but I have talked to some of the Indian guys in the team. What I realise is that they train a lot but not the right way. The Indian national team has now changed the way to train and the difference is visible. We need to do that too, he says.
Chennai win,Karnataka continue to lose
Pakistan international Syed Imran Warsi scored twice as Chennai Cheetahs notched up a 5-2 victory over hosts Delhi Wizards. Wizards scored through Philip Sunkel (32nd,34th min) but the Cheetahs struck back through Joseph Reardon (35th),drag-flicker Warsi (47th,53rd),Adam Sinclair (55th) and Sandeep Antil (60th). In Bangalore,Karnataka Lions lost 3-1 to Bhopal Badshahs.
Tuesdays games: Chennai Cheetahs vs Mumbai Marines (7 pm),Karnataka Lions vs Chandigarh Comets (9 pm); Live on Neo Sports
