Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Tuesday, 28 Jul 1992 11:06:01 MST
From: Nauman Mysorewala. <PAKEDITR@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field
Subject: Artificial Pitches help rich nations


I received from a friend and am posting this here for your info

 07/21 ARTIFICIAL HOCKEY PITCHES HELP RICH NATIONS

    By Alister Doyle     TERRASSA, Spain, July 21, Reuter - India
and Pakistan, the traditional superpowers of world hockey, will
be starting their Olympic campaign with a built-in disadvantage.
With artificial pitches costing a whacking $700,000 apiece, they
simply can't afford to prepare for competition on level terms.
Britain, whose men's hockey team struck gold at the 1988 Seoul
Olympics, has well over 300 artificial pitches of the type being
used at the Barcelona games.     In Pakistan there are just seven,
of varying quality. And in India, where the men's team won eight
Olympic golds up to 1980 but has had scant international
success since, there are between 15 and 20.     "It's unfair but we
have to compete," said Pakistani coach Munawar Uz-Zaman,
whose country has netted three Olympic gold medals and is still
among the favourites this year. "It's very costly to have such
pitches."     Smooth artificial surfaces have taken much of the
frustrations out of playing on bumpy grass, attracting more
players in developed countries like Britain and Australia to the
game.     At the same time, the prohibitive cost means many
players in poorer nations
still play on grass -- except in international competitions when
they meet players more accustomed to the fast pace of plastic.
Artificial surfaces were introduced to the Olympics at the 1976
Montreal  Games and have now become the international
standard.     "On grass, nothing is predictable. Here the ball runs
true and players can develop more of their skills," said Bryan
Olencross, coach for the Australian women's team, the defending
Olympic champions.     "It also means a much better spectacle,"
he added.     The state-of-the-art artificial green pitches at the
Olympic venue at the town of Terrassa outside Barcelona come
from German firm Balsam, which says the pitches and related
equipment cost about $700,000 each.     On top is a layer of
green tufted plastic "grass" and below a special sponge laid on
concrete. The grass is watered heavily -- with about 40,000 to
50,000 litres -- to allow players to slide. Without the water,
players risk falls and friction burns.     Indian trainer N.P. Katare
said artificial pitches had helped improve the quality of the
game in rich countries, allowing them to rival the standards of
the traditional superpowers.     "Every country is becoming
equal," he said.     Argentine coach Jorge Ruiz said: "The lack of
artificial pitches is a huge disadvantage, but we don't want to
use that as an excuse. That's the way the modern game is. We
just have to accept it."     In South America, where there is little
tradition of hockey, Argentina and Chile are the only nations
with artificial pitches, with just one each.     "Ours is 11 years old
and almost worn out," said Ruiz.     "We don't mind competing on
real grass, but no one will play us," Ruiz said. "Certainly none of
the Europeans will."  REUTER AD PFS
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field