WGMA DIVERSEN
gepubliceerd 13 november 2023
INHOUD
- Wim van Noortwijk Memorial Tournament 2022
- WGMA New Board Appointments, 12 maart 2021
- WGMA Christmas Greetings , 20 december 2020
- WGMA statement of the board, 16 november 2020,
- WGMA kiest nieuwe voorzitter, 1 november 2020
- Dear hockey friends around the world, september 2020
- WGMA history until 2015, 1 oktober 2017
Wim van Noortwijk Memorial Tournament, Barcelona June 2022
WGMA is delighted to announce that Royal Club de Polo in Barcelona will host a Wim van Noortwijk Memorial Tournament from 25th June - 3rd July 2022. This tournament will offer hockey for men’s age groups O60 - O75 and women’s age groups O60 - O65. There will be also men’s O80 and women’s O70 if there are three or more entries for those groups. This tournament will replace the Grand Masters tournament provisionally planned for Valencia in 2022.
The tournament will be more in the tradition of the informal Mentors tournaments that were previously staged in Athens (2011) and Barcelona (2013) rather than the Barcelona World Cup of 2018 and will be open to non-national Grand Masters teams from all parts of the world, both current and former WGMA members. The tournament will be a 'fiesta’ of hockey for international hockey friends and their partners - a fitting tribute to the former WGMA President who did so much to raise the profile of Grand Masters hockey and to prolong the playing career of so many of us. The traditional hospitality of RC Club de Polo will be offered throughout the event and there will be a relaxed barbecue evening by the pitches to round off what will undoubtedly be a memorable few days. 2022 is also a special year for RC Polo as they will be celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the club.
Formal invitations will be sent out by Pepe Borrell and the organising committee in the next few weeks but please put the dates in your diary and let your players know so that they can build this into their holiday plans for 2022. This is a tournament that no one will want to miss.
All the best
Adrian Stephenson
WGMA is delighted to announce that Royal Club de Polo in Barcelona will host a Wim van Noortwijk Memorial Tournament from 25th June - 3rd July 2022. This tournament will offer hockey for men’s age groups O60 - O75 and women’s age groups O60 - O65. There will be also men’s O80 and women’s O70 if there are three or more entries for those groups. This tournament will replace the Grand Masters tournament provisionally planned for Valencia in 2022.
The tournament will be more in the tradition of the informal Mentors tournaments that were previously staged in Athens (2011) and Barcelona (2013) rather than the Barcelona World Cup of 2018 and will be open to non-national Grand Masters teams from all parts of the world, both current and former WGMA members. The tournament will be a 'fiesta’ of hockey for international hockey friends and their partners - a fitting tribute to the former WGMA President who did so much to raise the profile of Grand Masters hockey and to prolong the playing career of so many of us. The traditional hospitality of RC Club de Polo will be offered throughout the event and there will be a relaxed barbecue evening by the pitches to round off what will undoubtedly be a memorable few days. 2022 is also a special year for RC Polo as they will be celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the club.
Formal invitations will be sent out by Pepe Borrell and the organising committee in the next few weeks but please put the dates in your diary and let your players know so that they can build this into their holiday plans for 2022. This is a tournament that no one will want to miss.
All the best
Adrian Stephenson
Linda Skelton
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Jawed Kahn
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New Board Appointments
We are delighted to announce that Linda Skelton (England) and Jawed Khan (Italy) have accepted an invitation to join the WGMA Board and were formally appointed at a Board meeting on Wednesday 3rd March. Both Linda and Jawed have been working with us as part of the management team since December last year and have already made valuable contributions to our plans for the future.
We are attaching some biographical details for both our new Board members and we know that they are looking forward to meeting you all at the first opportunity - maybe Bra if all goes well. Linda has already done some groundwork in creating a network of contacts for the further development of Women Grand Masters and Jawed will be taking over more of the secretarial load from Adrian in the next few months.
We would also like to welcome Nick Cane from the Welsh Dragons who has offered to take on the role of website manager from Steve Winnall. Steve has made a massive contribution to the public image of WGMA through our existing website which has become an important notice board for all matters relating to Grand Masters hockey. Steve has expressed a wish to stand down later this year but has agreed to work with Nick on a smooth transition which should ensure that communication both with our members and with the world in general is unaffected.
Despite the prolonged inactivity on the hockey pitch WGMA continues to plan for better times ahead. Domestic hockey is beginning to return and we hope that we can meet some of our friends from further afield before the end of this year.
John Willmott
President, WGMA
Adrian Stephenson
Hon Secretary
gepubliceerd 12 maart 2021
We are delighted to announce that Linda Skelton (England) and Jawed Khan (Italy) have accepted an invitation to join the WGMA Board and were formally appointed at a Board meeting on Wednesday 3rd March. Both Linda and Jawed have been working with us as part of the management team since December last year and have already made valuable contributions to our plans for the future.
We are attaching some biographical details for both our new Board members and we know that they are looking forward to meeting you all at the first opportunity - maybe Bra if all goes well. Linda has already done some groundwork in creating a network of contacts for the further development of Women Grand Masters and Jawed will be taking over more of the secretarial load from Adrian in the next few months.
We would also like to welcome Nick Cane from the Welsh Dragons who has offered to take on the role of website manager from Steve Winnall. Steve has made a massive contribution to the public image of WGMA through our existing website which has become an important notice board for all matters relating to Grand Masters hockey. Steve has expressed a wish to stand down later this year but has agreed to work with Nick on a smooth transition which should ensure that communication both with our members and with the world in general is unaffected.
Despite the prolonged inactivity on the hockey pitch WGMA continues to plan for better times ahead. Domestic hockey is beginning to return and we hope that we can meet some of our friends from further afield before the end of this year.
John Willmott
President, WGMA
Adrian Stephenson
Hon Secretary
gepubliceerd 12 maart 2021
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WGMA KIEST NIEUWE VOORZITTER
gepubliceerd 1 november 2020
Dear hockey friends around the world
As you are all aware WGMA continues to exist and Wim (van Noortwijk) and I are convinced that it has a role to play in the future in binding together all those individuals and organisations committed to playing hockey around the world as long as we are able!
WMH has taken over the management of the major international events but we feel that to date, as an organisation, it lacks the personal touch. WGMA’s immediate role will therefore be to maintain the camaraderie and enjoyment that we all get from meeting up for tournaments of any description anywhere in the world. The current management (and individual membership) of WGMA tends to reflect the past rather than the future and we feel it essential for the ongoing success of Grand Masters hockey internationally that 'new blood' be introduced in to the management of WGMA to ensure a continuation in the firing of enthusiasm for Grand Masters events at all levels that has been our main objective over the past few years.
Wim and I would like to stand down, or at least to fade into the background, and need the founding members of WGMA and Grand Masters hockey to suggest potential successors to fill these two roles. As we are well aware anyone taking on these responsibilities will need to have the time and the energy to continue to bind together Grand Masters players from all corners of the globe. They will all need to work closely together on a regular basis and we would be happy to discuss the extent of the work involved. We should add that Jaap Quarles van Ufford and Dave Ferguson have confirmed that they are both happy to stay on for the immediate future to ensure continuity in the Board and Wim and I will also be available in the background to support and advise if needed.
De Zestigplussers, LX Club, Alliance and Australia (now in the form of Southern Cross) together with Germany were the founding members of WGMA and we are looking for these organisations to continue to shape the future with the help of others such as Sixtiberians, Eburons, Gens Italica, Scottish Thistles, Welsh Dragons and other Grand Masters organisers/organisations around the world.
Please can you discuss the future of WGMA with your members/players and let Wim and myself know in confidence if you feel that you have a strong candidate for either role - someone who shares our ideals and has both an international outlook and the right ‘feel' for the blending of hockey and off the field social activities. We are not looking to expand the Board as we feel that the small management team that we have at present is all that is needed to manage and direct WGMA, with the support of the members, and to shape its future.
With best wishes to you all !
Adrian Stephenson
Hon Secretary, WGMA
gepubliceerd 29 september 2020
As you are all aware WGMA continues to exist and Wim (van Noortwijk) and I are convinced that it has a role to play in the future in binding together all those individuals and organisations committed to playing hockey around the world as long as we are able!
WMH has taken over the management of the major international events but we feel that to date, as an organisation, it lacks the personal touch. WGMA’s immediate role will therefore be to maintain the camaraderie and enjoyment that we all get from meeting up for tournaments of any description anywhere in the world. The current management (and individual membership) of WGMA tends to reflect the past rather than the future and we feel it essential for the ongoing success of Grand Masters hockey internationally that 'new blood' be introduced in to the management of WGMA to ensure a continuation in the firing of enthusiasm for Grand Masters events at all levels that has been our main objective over the past few years.
Wim and I would like to stand down, or at least to fade into the background, and need the founding members of WGMA and Grand Masters hockey to suggest potential successors to fill these two roles. As we are well aware anyone taking on these responsibilities will need to have the time and the energy to continue to bind together Grand Masters players from all corners of the globe. They will all need to work closely together on a regular basis and we would be happy to discuss the extent of the work involved. We should add that Jaap Quarles van Ufford and Dave Ferguson have confirmed that they are both happy to stay on for the immediate future to ensure continuity in the Board and Wim and I will also be available in the background to support and advise if needed.
De Zestigplussers, LX Club, Alliance and Australia (now in the form of Southern Cross) together with Germany were the founding members of WGMA and we are looking for these organisations to continue to shape the future with the help of others such as Sixtiberians, Eburons, Gens Italica, Scottish Thistles, Welsh Dragons and other Grand Masters organisers/organisations around the world.
Please can you discuss the future of WGMA with your members/players and let Wim and myself know in confidence if you feel that you have a strong candidate for either role - someone who shares our ideals and has both an international outlook and the right ‘feel' for the blending of hockey and off the field social activities. We are not looking to expand the Board as we feel that the small management team that we have at present is all that is needed to manage and direct WGMA, with the support of the members, and to shape its future.
With best wishes to you all !
Adrian Stephenson
Hon Secretary, WGMA
gepubliceerd 29 september 2020
WGMA HISTORY UNTIL 2015
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60+ (Grand Masters) hockey started in the Netherlands back in 1988 and in 1989 when the NHC De Zestigplussers was founded by Jan van Hoopen and his hockey friends. In the early 1990s, one or two ‘international’ matches were played on an informal basis between the Netherlands, Belgium and France as a result of old friendships through hockey.
In February 1995, a tournament for teams with players aged above 60 (Grand Masters) was held in Lille, France through the efforts of Jacques Lévy . Players from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France and England participated. It was at this tournament that the LX Club, England was founded. As early as the 1970s Masters hockey had become established in Australia, the idea being to keep players active by extending their career through the Masters. Hockey in Australia had always been a major sport and the concept of Masters hockey developed rapidly in all states and Territories, with teams playing each other in an annual Masters tournament at various age divisions from 40+ upwards. However it wasn’t until the late 1990s that Australia established their first Grand Masters (60+) team encouraged by the developments in Europe. The first unofficial World Cup for Grand Masters was held in 1998 in Utrecht/Bussum with teams from Germany, Netherlands, England and Australia. Australia hosted a tournament in Darwin two years later and it was decided that a more formal Grand Masters Hockey World Cup should be staged at Kuala Lumpur in 2002. During this tournament, at a meeting of the national delegates, it was agreed that WGMA should be formed to organise and encourage the development of international Grand Masters hockey, with Ted Jones (Australia) being appointed as the Hon Secretary. Kuala Lumpur also marked the first appearance of Alliance, a side formed by Johan Herbert to provide international hockey for players from countries unable to assemble a national team. As Alliance International HC they are now regular participants at WGMA events. In 2002 Scotland formed a first representative side to compete at the European Superveterans Tournament (ESVT) in Paris that year and hosted the same tournament themselves two years later. Athens offered to host the next World Cup in 2004 immediately after their Olympic Games and a WGMA ‘task force’, combining the experience of Peter Child, Robert Clark, Doug Morrice and Bernard Verbunt, was asked to assist the Greek organising committee. At the WGMA Congress during the tournament Peter Child (GER) was elected the first President of WGMA, with Vice President Bernard Verbunt (NED) and Hon. Secretary Ted Jones (AUS) and it was agreed that WGMA should develop a strategic plan to gain recognition by FIH of the Association’s role in developing Grand Masters hockey worldwide. Meanwhile the membership of WGMA continued to grow. Italy had entered a team in the World Cup in Athens, which also saw the introduction of a Great Grand Masters (65+) section, and in 2005 a Japanese team visited Europe and competed as a guest side at the European Super Veterans Tournament (ESVT) in Rotterdam. Egypt made their first appearance at the World Cup at Leverkusen in 2006 and, in the same tournament, Malaysia competed for the first time in Europe. Earlier that year the first Senior Grand Masters (70+) international had been played between Netherlands and England at HC Rotterdam. On 9th November 2006, after a two-year campaign by the WGMA board, with frequent meetings between Mrs. Els van Breda Vriesman-Commandeur (then FIH President) Bernard Verbunt and Peter Child, the Executive Committee of the FIH at their biennial Congress in London formally agreed to recognise WGMA as the sole body responsible for international Grand Masters (60+) hockey. Subsequently, in November 2006 at the new FIH head office in Lausanne, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by FIH and WGMA board members Peter Child, Bernard Verbunt and Doug Morrice. The WGMA Board drew up a long-term strategy to achieve its goals in promoting Grand Masters hockey in the international hockey world with the invaluable support of both the FIH and its national associations. A the same time the WGMA added to its Board John Watts as Vice President (Australia) and Kenji Hamanaka as Vice President (Japan) to help implement this strategy. |
The first Grand Masters Hockey European Cup was played in 2007 at Canterbury and it was agreed that in future the tournament should be played every two years at the same time as, and near to, the main EuroHockey Nations Championships. The Grand Masters Hockey World Cup would be staged every two years and would, where possible, be linked to the FIH World Cup and to the Olympic Games. After difficulties in arranging a venue near the Beijing Olympics, the 2008 World Cup was held in Hong Kong, where the host nation and South Africa competed for the first time. The following year Amstelveen, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, hosted the 2nd Grand Masters Hockey European Cup. 2010 saw Grand Masters hockey make its first trip to Africa when South Africa hosted the World Cup at their Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium in Cape Town and New Zealand impressed by making the last four on their first appearance at a WGMA event. Another newcomer, Belgium, took part and created an impact at the 2011 Grand Masters Hockey European Cup at Neuss, Germany. While in Singapore later that year, the first Asian Cup was staged involving Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Malaysia, who became the first winners. Grand Masters Hockey continued to grow and over 40 teams took part in the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup at Oxford in 2012, with well over a thousand players, officials and supporters enjoying another feast of competitive hockey and international friendship. A similarly enlarged Grand Masters Hockey European Cup was held at Kontich, Belgium in 2013 a few miles away from the EuroHockey Championships at Boom and Hong Kong hosted the 2nd Grand Masters Hockey Asian Cup later that year. In 2014 the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup was staged in The Hague at the same time as the main FIH World Cup. A record 56 teams from 15 countries participated in four age groups – 60+, 65+, 70+ and 75+ - over a period of 8 days. The tournament also marked the first appearance of a Women’s 60+ section at which Australia became World Champions. A women’s 60+ section was also included for the first time in the Grand Masters Hockey European Cup in London in August 2015, and Singapore’s men made a first appearance in the the 3rd Asian Cup which was held later that year in Kuala Lumpur. To ensure the continuing development of women’s Grand Masters hockey, the WGMA Board established a Women’s Steering Group with women representatives from England, Holland, Australia and New Zealand and in December 2014 the first woman Vice President was appointed to sit on the WGMA Board. Another major milestone in Masters and Grand Masters hockey was the establishment in 2013 of an FIH Masters Hockey Panel involving representatives from WGMA, IMHA and FIH, whose principal aim was the promotion and further development of Masters hockey throughout the world. This has become a forum in which IMHA and WGMA, with the support and encouragement of FIH, have been able to work more closely together to standardise the management of Masters hockey at all ages and for both genders. At the WGMA Congress held in The Hague in 2014, Peter Child stepped down as President after a period in office of 10 years, and Wim van Noortwijk (NED) was elected to succeed him. Peter Child remained on the Board as Past President to support the Board’s further activities over the next two years and, at the FIH Congress held in Marrakech in October 2014 he was presented by FIH with the Diploma of Merit ‘for distinguished services rendered to the FIH and to hockey’, further recognition by FIH of WGMA's global management of Grand Masters hockey. gepubliceerd WIP 1 oktober 2017 |
WGMA / WMH Toernooien Overzicht
