Icons – Datuk G. Vijayananthan
Mr Hockey
By TONY MARIADASS
It is rare and a great honour to have
an entire stadium stand on their feet and sing one a birthday song or give a
standing ovation. Both were given to Datuk Vijayananthan Gulasingam.
Fondly known as VG or Viji, his name
is synonymous with the history of hockey in the country and worldwide.
Just turned 83 on Nov 7, Viji is also
known as ‘Mr Hockey’, was then Malaysian Hockey Federation (now Malaysian
Hockey Confederation) general secretary for 26 years (1959 – 1985) serving
under three presidents – the late Tun Abdul Razak Datuk Hussein (1959 – 1976),
the late Datuk Hussein Onn (1977 -1981) and the late former Sultan of Perak Raja Azlan Shah (1981 -1985).
Viji working as a volunteer and known
for managing MHF matters from the booth off his car with stool and his ever
reliable portable typewriter has certainly gone to make a name for himself in
the world of hockey not only as an administrator but an international hockey
umpire and technical delegate.
Most memorable moments
It was at the 23rd FIH
Rabobant Champion Trophy in Holland in November 2001 that 5,000 fans stood up
and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Viji.
“One of the officials who overheard
calls from my wife and children wishing me happy birthday had told the
organisers about it. Just before the start of the last match of the day on Nov
7 (Korea v Holland), Bob Davidson, the chairman of the organising committee
insisted that I follow him to the centre of the field to inspect it,” recalled
Viji who was the technical delegate for the tournament.
“To my greatest shock and excitement
the “Happy Birthday’ song was played and the moment we had reached the centre
of the field, the entire crowd stood up and joined in the singing.
“I was really taken aback and tried
very hard to keep my tears from rolling down. This gesture of the fans of
Holland is a wonderful gift which I shall never forget.”
Another moment etched in the memories
of Viji was after the final of the 2nd World Cup also in Amsterdam
between Holland and India on 2nd September, 1973 where he was umpiring.
“It was a pleasant surprise when I
was told that the FIH president then, Rene Frank, has decided that the best
umpires must officiate the final regardless if they were from Asia or Europe.
That was how I got appointed to umpire the final together with Horacio from Argentina,”
said Viji who was rated the World No 1 umpire then.
“The game was electrifying and ended
tied at 1-1 after extra time and Holland went to win their first ever major
success by winning on penalty stroke.
As both Horacio and I walked back across the
field towards main stadium, the entire crowd gave us a standing ovation which I
have never experienced before.”
Early days
Viji besides his car, his house was
the office of MHF.
“I purchased my own typewriter on
instalment basis from the small salary I earned as a clerk,” said Viji who
trained as a teacher but ended up in the Selangor Education Department
“Even for the 1975 3rd
World Cup which Malaysia hosted taking over from India, Tun Abdul Razak offered
the Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman to be used as the secretariat.
“It was trying times for the sport of
hockey, but we still managed well and did well in the game too.
“I was not paid a single cent during
my 26 years I served as the MHF secretary or for all the travels to FIH
meetings. I had to fork out my own money and my late wife Rajaletchchmy for 51
years was a tremendous support,” said Viji who relinquished the post in 1985.
“But despite the lack of
remunerations, I loved every minute I was involved in the sport. It was a sad
day for me to tender in my resignation, but it was a condition the Royal
Selangor Golf Club imposed, where I was joining as their Sports Manager. It was
a well-paid job and I needed the money to put my children through their
education.”
Viji was also the secretary of the
Selangor Hockey Association from 1959 to 1962. He gave up the post to
concentrate on his work with MHF.
But what many may now know is that he
served football long before hockey.
He served as the assistant secretary
of the Football Association of Selangor for eight years from 1956 to 1963 and
secretary for two years from 1963.
Viji was also a part time sports
reporter with The Malay Mail in 1964, but stopped after a while because his
conscious did not allow him to be an administrator of the game and then write
about it too.
“I could earn about 100 to 120
dollars and it was big money then. But after a few months, I decided to stop as
I felt it was not ethical,” said Viji.
Sports has been in Viji’s blood from
young as schoolboy who started off by playing cricket for the Tamilians’
Physical Cultural Assocaition (TPCA).
And it was by chance that he took up
hockey when he was standing on the sidelines to watch TPCA play in a Division
Two match after his cricket practice.
“One of the players failed to turn up
and C. Arumugam, who was in charge of the hockey team, asked me to go and
change and take his place,” recalled Viji.
“From that day, I became a regular
player and played for them for 25 years – till 1981.”
Rise as umpire
Viji initially registered as Grade 3
umpire with the MHF Umpires’ Board in March 1964 rose to become Grade One
international umpire in 1971 under the revised FIH list. Earlier he was
accorded International Class One umpire in 1969. It was only Grade One umpires
who were permitted to officiate at the Olympic Games.
Among the international tournaments
Viji has umpired include the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 and 1976 Bangkok Asian
Games (officiated in final in both Games); four World Cups – 1973 Amsterdam,
1975 Kuala Lumpur, 1978 Argentina and Bombay 1981/82. He officiated in the
final in Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur.
He was umpired in two Olympics
(Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976) and missed out the third of Malaysia’s boycott
of the 1980 Moscow Games.
He has also officiated in four
Champions Trophy championships in Pakistan (1978), Perth (1979), Karachi (1980
and 1981).
Viji is also known for awarding the
goal that gave India a 2-1 win over Pakistan and winning the World Cup in 1975
at the Merdeka Stadium.
“I have had numerous phone calls and
letters inquiring about the winning goal then and had wanted to write but on
second thought, decided forget he issue,” said Viji.
But Viji finally gave his explanation
when he wrote his book “The Memoirs of ‘Mr Hockey’ in 2012 in a dedication to
his wife Rajaletchmy who passed away in 2010 while holidaying and was on the
last leg in Barcelona.
“The ball which was pushed in by Askok
Kumar on India had crossed the goal line at a point about one foot away from
the upright post. I was so close to the incident that I clearly saw the whole
ball crossing the goal line but within a split second it had struck something
and had rebounded into play,” Viji had explained in his book.
“This baffled me for a moment and I
delayed, by a split second in blowing for goal as I wanted to be very sure of
my decision. If the ball had struck the goal boards, then I would have heard a
clear sound. If the ball had struck the upright post – either at its side or
front – it could have been clearly noticed by me for I was very close to the
incident.
“The ball had actually struck the peg
which was placed against goal boards about a foot away from the upright. I then
decided to award the goal and blew my whistle.”
Vii till today cannot understand why
many refer it as a disputed goal because a goal can only be termed disputed if
an official protest – in writing – was made to the technical delegate after the
game. Pakistan made no official protest.”
Regret
His only regret as an umpire was that
he was that he was deprived on two occasions from umpiring the finals at the
Munich and Montreal Olympics.
“But I have had the privilege of
attending nine Olympics under various capacities and I suppose it is a record
by itself I can be very proud off,” Viji consoled himself.
Viji was the assistant team manager
for the 1964 Malaysian team to the Tokyo Olympics and the Mexico Games in 1968,
umpire at the 1972 Munich, 1976 in Montreal and 1980 Moscow Olympics
(boycotted), technical director for 1984 Los Angeles Games, judge for Seoul
Games in 1988, Assistant technical delegate for 1992 Barcelona Games,
tournament director for 1996 Atlanta Games and Technical officer for the 2000
Sydney Games.
Awards
Viji has a string of awards including
the ‘Gold Medal’ from Pakistan president Gen Zia-ul-Haq, ‘Lathouwers Medal’,
Sports Leadership Award, Diploma of Merit from FIH, inducted to the Olympic
Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame and the Brand Laureate Grand Master Icon award
for his contribution to hockey.
Book
Viji regarded as the encyclopaedia of
hockey has indeed done well to pen down all his experiences, knowledge, his
history and his family which was mooted by his daughter Anushya who had kept a
scrap book titled “All about my father and hockey.’
The 638 page book edited by
journalist R. Nadeswaran is a collector’s item which Viji had printed 1,118
copies and distributed to his family members and friends in the hockey circle
as a gift from him.
His legacy will definitely live on
forever.
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