New Delhi, Dec 04, 2012: The Burman family today announced the signing of acclaimed former Australian hockey player and coach Dr. Richard Ian Charlesworth as the new coach for their recently acquired Mumbai franchise of the prestigious Hockey India League (HIL).
Hockey India League
“The Burman family is proud to welcome Ric Charlesworth to the Mumbai team. Ric brings a wealth of experience to the role. His track record and reputation as a player, great teacher and as a coach makes us confident that this appointment will translate to great success for the Mumbai franchise and will be an enriching experience for the players in the team. I am confident that with Ric, we will be able to identify new talent that can be groomed to play for India,” Dabur Vice Chairman Mr. Amit Burman said.
Ric is one of the most well known hockey players and coaches in Australian hockey history. He was head coach of the Australian Women’s hockey team, the Hockeyroos, from 1993 to 2000, and steered the team to win the Champion’s Trophy in 1993 (Amsterdam), 1995 (Mar del Plata), 1997 (Berlin) and 1999 (Brisbane), the World Hockey Cup in 1994 (Dublin) and 1998 (Netherlands) besides being gold medallists in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Sydney Olympics in 2000 and 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. In 2009, Ric was appointed coach of the Australian men’s national hockey team, the Kookaburras. The team went on to win the 2009 Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy in Melbourne, Australia; the 2010 Hockey World Cup in New Delhi; the 2010 Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy in Mönchengladbach, Germany; and the 2010 Commonwealth Games Men’s Hockey Gold Medal in Delhi. In 2001 the team won a record 4th consecutive Champions trophy and in London this year they were bronze medallists at the Olympics.
Ric Charlesworth said he was excited about working with the Mumbai franchise of Hockey India League. “Hockey is important in India. We will strive to best prepare our players for their personal future in the Hockey India League and for India. To me it’s all about helping these young men open doors of opportunity for their future in the hockey field. I would love to see this league succeed. It can be great for players and for the game.,” Richard Charlesworth said.
The Burman family, promoters of the consumer conglomerate Dabur India Ltd, had earlier this month bought the Mumbai franchise of the prestigious Hockey India League (HIL). This is a personal investment by the Burman family and is not connected to Dabur India Ltd.
The Burman Family is the promoter of one of the largest and the oldest Indian consumer products company, Dabur India Ltd. The family also has interests in Life Insurance, General Insurance, Banking firms, Healthcare, besides Private Equity and Food & Beverage Retail.
The inaugural edition of the six-team Hockey India League will be played on a home and away basis, starting mid-January, 2013 and has been granted a window by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The 33 matches, including three play-off games, will be broadcast live on Star Sports.
The Hockey India League has sparked an excitement among the players and coaches around the world. Nearly 100 overseas stars with rich international experience and 150 Indian players, including the entire Indian squad, have signed up for the HIL Players’ Auction. As many as 30 coaches have expressed their interest in associating themselves with the six teams.
Tags: Amit Burman, Burman, Dabur, FIH, HIL, Hockey, Hockey India League, International Hockey Federation, Ric Charlesworth, Star Sports
