Dunedin hockey team's Singapore/Malaysia odyssey
Traveling from Singapore up Malay Peninsula to play hockey while immersing themselves in the local culture was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the John McGlashan College 1st XI Hockey development team, writes teacher Stewart McDonald. Sixteen players, along with ten parents and team management, participated in the trip. The group was able to incorporate cultural activities into their itinerary thanks to a grant from the Foundation’s Student Sports Fund.
The team played six hockey matches against teams in Singapore and Malaysia
The contrast between the South Island of New Zealand and Southeast Asia is never so apparent as when coming in to land at Changi Airport.
As we looked at the vast expanse of Singapore’s built-up city centre and the flotilla of cargo ships waiting to enter port, a distinct sense of being a small part of a big world sunk in.
Once on the ground and out of the airport, it was the tropical heat that reminded us that the cool morning of our departure from Dunedin was far behind us. The adventure had begun.
The opportunity to embark on a sporting tour to Southeast Asia was an exciting but also a challenging prospect. For some of our touring party the trip was their first experience of leaving New Zealand and for most others it was their first trip beyond Australia or the Pacific Islands.
The trip provided an opportunity for the players to get out and about and experience the local environment
The chance to improve our hockey skills was one of the key factors in choosing to come to Singapore and Malaysia, where hockey is a valued and high participation sport. However, this factor was very much in tandem with the experience that is to be gained from travelling and exploring new countries and cultures.
We played six hockey matches as we travelled north from Singapore through Peninsular Malaysia.
Games in Singapore, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang all provided our team with some excellent competition against strongly skilled and passionate opposition.
New styles of hockey, amazing close stick dribbling skills, and an ability to play efficiently in temperatures consistently over 30 degrees were all on display in our well drilled opponents.
Defender Jock Duncan (17) says the haka the team had practiced was particularly special being performed in a foreign land.
"Everyone embraced the haka, which allowed us to get into ‘the zone’ before the game, while also showing the locals some of our culture from back in New Zealand."
As well as the on-field play, we also learnt about the environment in which the other teams train, attend school and go about their daily lives. The big-city environment in particular was an eye-opening experience for all of our tour participants.
The Kiwi players visited historic and cultural sites, including the Batu caves (right)
Trips to temples, historical sites, shopping malls, markets, water parks and landmark buildings added greatly to our overall experience.
Visiting the famous Batu Caves just outside Malaysia capital, Kuala Lumpur, was a highlight of the trip for striker Adam McNab (17).
He describes the caves as "offering a blend of natural beauty, cultural richness, and spiritual significance."
"The boys' jaws all dropped when we saw the sheer size of the cave and the statues."
The obvious mix of different cultures, religions and ethnicities within Singapore and Malaysia added a layer of diversity and vibrancy to everywhere we visited.
A highlight of the trip was eating out at local restaurants
Defender George O'Connell (18) says one cultural moment on the field particularly stood out for him.
"Everyone stopped, knelt and faced the direction of the mosque for prayer. This was an experience of a different culture I had never seen before."
He says experiencing the City Sights Walking Tour of Malacca was another highlight.
"In the town centre, we saw the architecture that showed evidence of Portuguese and Dutch Heritage.
"We also wandered through Chinatown, which included a 17th-century Chinese Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. This was incredibly decorated with such detail and highlighted the customs and sacredness of religion," he says.
"Travelling and experiencing all of this with my friends, teammates, and parents was indeed an experience I will never forget, and it has opened my eyes to a different way of living."
Playing against local teams was a chance to share a little of each others cultures
While we did many activities and ate many meals together as a group, one of the real positives of our trip was allowing our students to explore and make decisions for themselves around where to visit and where to eat. This allowed for all tour members to have their own personalised experience where they were able to push outside of their comfort zone progressively.
The sporting nature of our tour enabled us to interact and make connections with a wide range of people that we might otherwise not have been in contact with on a personal holiday.
It was particularly good to meet up with coaches and staff at schools that we had visited on a previous tour in 2015.
The tour proved to be a valuable time of learning for all of our party, including the management and parents.
The aims of developing our hockey, expanding our players' understanding of the world and of enhancing cross-cultural connections were all achieved.
The organisation of our tour by our knowledgeable local guides and the schools who hosted us was fantastic. This added greatly to our enjoyment and appreciation of the games played and the other activities undertaken.
We look forward to returning for future tours where we can reconnect and establish links with new schools and their communities.
The Foundation's Sports Programme provides New Zealand sportspeople opportunities to grow more knowledgeable, connected and confident with Asia.
The Student Sports Fund provides grants for secondary and tertiary students travelling to Asia for sports to include cultural activities to their itineraries.
