Borren likely to end long hockey career

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 32

Borren likely to end long hockey career

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Thur Borren, one of New Zealand’s most skilful and accomplished hockey players, has ended a l()-year association with Canterbury hockey and has almost certainly ended an international career spanning 50 matches.

Borren yesterday received news of a shift to Wellington on July 1 and because it would mean a split season he has decided to rest from hockey this season. Borren said that he might play club hockey in Wellington next year but doubted whether he would play at representative level. It was ■ “extremely doubtful” that he| would play international: hockey again. Borren was critical of thei New Zealand Hockey Associ-| ation, both in its selection of I officials to New Zealand, teams and a lack of effort in | promoting hockey after its I gold-medal win at the Mon-| treat Olympics. “It’s a great concern that) New Zealand teams during my playing career have consistently been coached by people without proven ( records at club and provin-i cial level.” said Borren. This is not necessarily aj criticism of their perform-! ances but it underlines al basic lack of understanding by the N.Z.H.A. of the requirements of a top hockey coach. “Hockey is a difficult game both technically and| tactically. It follows that: coaching requires skills which cannot be cultivated overnight.

.quirements of coaching it will be difficult for New (Zealand hockey to maintain its standards when these 'players retire. i "Its totally unacceptable [that the Canterbury coach, I Cyril Walter, has not been I appointed New Zealand I coach at any time during the last 10 years. Cyril has been responsible for the development of numerous players who have represented New Zealand over the past decade, including seven who won the gold medal at the Montreal Olympics. “It is a reflection of thei N.Z.H.A. that it has apparently never asked itself why this situation arises.” Borren echoed the feelings of a number of other members of the Montreal goldmedal team when he said: “It is disturbing to observe the imcompetent display by the N.Z.H.A. in other areas of administration, the decision not to send a team to the World Cup in Argentina being one example.

sible for the association’s unimpressive performance lover the years I’ve been associated with the game,” said Borreh. Borren’s move will end what has almost become an institution in Canterbury hockey, the University, Canterbury and New Zealand inside-forward combination of John Christensen, Barry Maister, and Borren.

He has played regularly for the province since 1968. Although he does not know the exact number of games he has played, he estimates it at 80 or 90 in addition to the 50 he has played for New Zealand since 1969.

He has played in many tournaments. His first tour was to Australia in 1969 but in 1970 he made himself unavailable because he was disillusioned with the way the New Zealand team was run the previous year. He went to Singapore in 1971 and the Munich Olympics in 1972, was unavailable for the World Cup in Amsterdam in 1973, and played in the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, the Montreal Olympics, and Australia last year. He played in the international tournament in Christchurch against the Indians in 1974, the Canadians in 1975, and the Australians last year. Naturally, Borren’s most memorable game was the Montreal final but for sheer excitement he rates the game against the Netherlands at the Christchurch tournament in 1974 as the best.

“We won the gold medal as an underdog and it’s an embarrassment that we did not give our opponents the opportunity to have a crack at us at Buenos Aires. Its mot surprising to see in» creasing criticism levelled at the N.Z.H.A.”

“The successes achieved by New Zealand teams in recent years can be largely attributed to the experience of a hard-core group of players who started their international careers in the 19605.

Borren said that the few new appointments to the N.Z.H.A. management committee in the last few years had not been successful because of their frustration with the inactivity of the association. Inevitably this had resulted in their resignation.

"It is significant, too, that these players come almost exlusively from Canterbury and Auckland. “Unless the N.Z.H.A. pays greater attention to the rep

“It’s essential there be a 'replacement of the hard core of long serving members who must have been respon-

In that match, New Zealand was down, 0-3, after 15 minutes but fought back to win, 4-3;