HOCKEY CHAMPIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 12 June 1926, Page 6

HOCKEY CHAMPIONS.

INDIAN ARMY TEAM. . Next week South Canterbury is to receive' a visit from what is generally conceded to be the greatest and most skilful combination of hockey e Mm ltb that has played tho stick game m tl - Dominion. Tho party, winch m under the patronage of the govern ment of India, consists ol tour B item officers and representatives of all '■ and sections of the native Indian i lCaptain Cowan, M.G. (Oth Guilda ) acts as manager, ami the othei Diifish officers are Captain D. i. Oov/iiii, i • • (6th Gurkhas), Captain. V. M. n. Cox (28th Punjab Regiment), Captain L. A. Alexander (oth Roj.J Gurkhas), and Captain A. E. Gen chamber (1-llth 1v.G.0. Sikhs). ,;; The following list gives n Mncs> i regiments and ranks of tlio f'bemadur” means Indian , “liaviklar,” sergeant; °°‘R _ and “lance-naik” lance-corpoial) • Jcmadur Lai Singh, 2 8 Jhclurn, centre forward and. °J ltbld .fight (Sikh); Naik Thakar l"\v O Gurkhas, Bakloli, haii-bacK (Sikh)’; Naik Gliulam Ah, Pioneers, Quetta, goalkeeper Naik Dliiiui Singh, 2-8 q lum, back (S.kli); Lance-Nakf. C. Susanathan, Madras, bappms tmd Min ers, Bangalore, outside left > SSS SJT Sjj* "SZPiSSZ SIS -SSSstIV min)’- Fitter Francis, Motor lianspoin Chaklala, back (Punjabi); Mvquir Cliand, Motor Transport, Cliakkdaj

. Tho men, who make a pictuicsque mclit in their ■ klmlii uniforms, nt-re withered from one end of India to th other They represent a number o regiments and religions, andtiie puf I miners sport little round hate, |h< pea ssjrrss.tr«i°&r*s medhim of a slouch hat, tho side, after the manner of the Aus traJian soldiers. This type of hat is worn by the Gurlchas, but m thu,. instance the owner is not one of that iamous lot. The Frontier Medal is to be seen on some f " while, on others, one nnticos Gioat ■colours. Each man has a mack mous tache while the Sikhars are bearded, a fact which gives them an old appearance belying their ages, the average “go being only 25. Of .the party of Indians, but one is a Christian, and rejoices in tho English name of l'iu«cis —Fitter H. Francis, of the Motor

“My personal opinion is that an. Allliuliaii Army team -jvould beat an Jiuiglisli Irish or Scotch international side’” said Coptain Cowan, the lnanaiier of the team, in reply to a question as to the comparative merits ot 'the game in India. Captain Cowan i has played in the Scottish, international trials, 'and should therefore ( be in a excellent 'position to judge. I tninK, too,' that tlio standard ot play rs highei in -India: Hockey is practically tho national-game.. Ihjs team the best tlii'eo m the whole of India. Captain.. Cowan said that in India hocW' was played all tlio year round and tho. grounds were very tuie an hard. The men were a little at a loss on a rough ground m the wet wlion it • W as a little difficult to apply tho exact

science of the game. One of the Indian players, who expresses himself most intelligently in good English, says that the team were enjoying their visit to New Zealand but‘found the travelling very tunig. He said they had thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Rotorua they appreeiatcclthe kindness extended to them by the Maoris. '“Good people, those he «aid Asked how they liked to be entertained, an Indian informed a pressman that they enjoyed the pictures and also the theatre. They also liked motor runs in .tlio country. Wo hue the country best,” said tlio youug soldier. “Most of us are from the villages in India. Very few of us are from big towns. So wo like to see the country.” A number of the team have seen war service in Gallipoli, 1 alestme

and Mesopotama. Tlio British officers arc all keen golfers, and are looking forward to a round on the. New Zealand links. Their handicaps are six to ten.