Hockey players Down Under look to come to India to earn bog bucks
Glen Turner, who was a part of the London Olympics bronze medal-winning Australian hockey team, is glad to be in India. The 28-year-old striker from Goulburn (one-hour drive from Canberra) said, in Australia, hockey is played for fun and cannot be considered as a livelihood for them.
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Magical touch: Glen Turner of Mumbai Magicians practises at Mumbai Hockey Association Stadium at Churchgate yesterday. PIC/Suresh KK
“There is not much money in hockey in Australia. You can’t make a living out of it. The standard there is better, but people play it for fun. That’s the reason why Australians look to come to India, where there is a lot of money.
“I was overjoyed when I got the news that Mumbai Magicians bought me for USD25,000,” said Turner, who works as a trainee engineer with the Government of Australia.
Turner, who will play in the inaugural franchise-based Hockey India League (January 14 to February 10) that begins next week, hopes to come good in the tournament.
“We have a bunch of talented players in the side. We won the World Cup here and also won the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medal. So playing in India is always a special feeling. Facing drag-flicker Sandeep Singh and Sardar Singh wasn’t easy.
Now, with Sandeep and outstanding goalkeeper PR Sreejesh in my team, I hope to reach the semi-finals of the tournament,” said Turner, who has scored 64 goals in 87 international matches.
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The presence of legendary Ric Charlesworth as coach for the Mumbai side makes Turner feel at home. u00a0“I have had some good sessions with this team. Ric is the best coach in the world and I don’t feel like I am out of Australia,” he signed off.u00a0
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