Weight Classes needed in hockey

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donjasjit
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Weight Classes needed in hockey

Post by donjasjit »

At first glance you may think that the idea of weight classes in a team sport is ridiculous, but hear me out.

We have weight classes in individual sports like Judo or Wrestling so that in a contest of two individuals, skill more than physical strength plays the most important part. It is considered blatantly unfair to expect a lower weight class athlete to compete against a higher weight class athlete.

In team sports there are no weight restrictions. This is on the assumption that the weights average out for the team and no decisive advantage is held by any team on the basis of weight. This is true in many cases, especially for teams from the same country or the same continent.

But people in Asia are significantly smaller and weigh less than Europeans. Our hockey team weighs at least 10-15 Kg less on average than Europeans. This weight advantage is decisive. In junior level tournaments where the weight difference is not so great, out teams do well but at senior level our teams are physically dominated to such an extent that nothing else matters, no ball skills, no positional awareness nothing. That is why we lose to teams like Belgium or Canada that don't have more than 100 players total in the country that play the game.

Of course some people would suggest that our players should bulk up, should put on weight but that would not be natural for their body type and height, it would not be healthy and defeat the very purpose of sports.

I am surprised no lawyer has raised this aspect of team sports at the regulatory level. If it is not right for individual sports why is it all right for team sports. Have one less than 70 Kg level, another above 70 kg level and then we will get a level playing field.

South Asia and South East Asia comprise nearly 25% of humanity but is there even one contact team sport in which they excel at the world level. Cricket, I exclude because there is very little physical contact between the contestants, so no pushing or shoving or rough tackling or running body to body.

South Asia is a continent of featherweights but it is expected to compete with the welterweights and middleweights of the European countries. It is most unfair and something needs to be done.
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prasen9
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Re: Weight Classes needed in hockey

Post by prasen9 »

This is an interesting point. But, first, we have to establish that in hockey weight classes gives a significant advantage that is hard to otherwise overcome. Clearly, it did not when the hockey was on a slower surface --- grass. Now, on astroturf, perhaps fitness as opposed to weight is the most important thing. Lastly, only a few teams play hockey seriously at a level good enough for a competition. If we do weight classes, then we will have pretty much an Asian championship and an European/Western championship separately. That would not be much fun.
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Re: Weight Classes needed in hockey

Post by jaydeep »

Really Prasenjit? 2012 dead thread ... :oof:
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Re: Weight Classes needed in hockey

Post by prasen9 »

I know Jaydeep, I know. There is not much else going on. So, I read some old threads in random. But, as they say, better late than never! It is also a fun thread. Imagine having hockey played by Sumo-wrestlers in the sumo-hockey weight category!
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