Brian Gerard Fernandez is a very familiar name in the game of hockey not just in Malaysia but across the globe for his tireless exploits and immense contributions to the sport of hockey which has spanned almost four decades.
Hockey is something that Brian knows all too well like the back of his hands, as not only has he played the game from grassroots right up to the competitive league, but he has also umpired and played key roles behind the scenes such as being tournament director for international tournaments.
When met recently at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, which will be the venue for the upcoming 2023 Men’s Junior World Cup hosted by Malaysia, Brian as the events manager, was very busy with the rest of the dedicated organising committee and team preparing for the very important job and task at hand.
The prestigious tournament that will see 16 teams battling for top honours from December 5 to 16.
The 67-years-old is focused and determined to make the tournament a success as he lives and breathes hockey, and he wants nothing but glory and success for Malaysia, not just in successfully hosting the tournament but for the teams that will be taking part.
The game is an integral part of Brian’s life, as he started playing back during his schooling days and after completing his education, he played competitive hockey for the Kilat Club for seven years from 1978 to 1985, before he decided to change his involvement in the game by venturing into umpiring, which began in Penang in 1985 and lasted for five years.
“I did not do umpiring for very long because I had gone as far as I could, as at that time there were so many good umpires around, and during those days, tournaments were far and wide, not like now.
“After this I went over to the technical side of the game, thanks to the late S. Satgunam, who guided me and taught me the ropes. I slowly climbed up the ladder where over the years after gaining experience under my belt, I did one Asian Games at Incheon in 2014.
“The first international tournament where I was the tournament director was in Chennai back in 2007 for the Men’s Asia Cup, and this was the start for me in getting involved behind the scenes for international tournaments, and the knowledge and experiences that I have gained and picked up along the way over the years has been nothing short of invaluable ,” he shared.
Although he was excited in taking up the role as tournament director for the very first time then, Brian revealed even though he was looking forward to the role and responsibility, he was slightly nervous and overwhelmed in handling a tournament or competition with eleven countries.
“I must have done a good job and left a good impression, as after that, I kept getting appointed for other international events and competitions where I also carried the role, task and duties of an ATD (Assistant Technical Delegate) for not one but two Asian Games, Doha in 2006, Guangzhou in 2010.
“From there I took a break as I was appointed to the FIH (The International Hockey Federation) Appointment Committee for two years, and once I was on the committee, I had to focus on the new role and responsibilities which was also another learning curve for me.
“I wanted to be a part of the FIH Committee because apart from serving and doing my country proud, it was very good exposure on the international front of the game, and if I am not mistaken, I was the first Malaysian to be appointed to the committee.
“The last tournament for me was last year, the Men’s AHF Cup in Jakarta where I was awarded the Diploma of Merit as recognition, appreciation for my services to the sport of hockey, because the retirement age is 65, and even though I love the game and I am still sharp and strong, whether I liked it or not, I had to step down,” he said.
He revealed that all the international tournaments and competitions that he got involved with over the years has taught him a lot, where he was able to learn from the very best in the world of hockey, and he gladly took whatever he could learn, absorb and gain in order to be the best he could.
“Basically, I was lucky to work under the best of the best at the time in terms of tournament directors, who are now known as technical delegates, when it came to international hockey tournaments.
“I had the opportunity which I was not going to waste, and because of my background and extensive involvement in the game over the years, I got along with all of them and vice-versa,” he recalled.
Brian said that he is someone who prides himself on doing the best and perform above and beyond expectations, which means that he is outspoken, blunt, direct, straight to the point, someone who is not afraid or shy to tell others what he wants.
“All along when I was a TD (Tournament Director/Delegate), all the recommendations that I made to the FIH when I was working behind the scenes at international tournaments were taken it and agreed with my feedback, suggestions.
“For me it is straightforward, if someone is up to the mark or not up to the mark, I will be blunt and call it out as it is, because we have very important jobs at to do and tasks to execute that are pertinent, not just for a tournament to take place and proceed, but more importantly for it to be a success.
“My priority is quality, not quantity. Whatever knowledge and experience that I gained was from others who were focused and dedicated at doing their best they could, so this is my way of giving back – by making sure that those who work with me are on the same wave-length,” he declared.
He shared that over the years he has trained officials from all over the Asia, and he is proud to see that some of them have become respected Technical Delegates (TD’s) in their respective countries, such as Alfred (Chan) in Hong Kong, Muneer (Moghul Mohammed Muneer), and Harrasi (Al Harrasi Abdullah) just to name a few.
“These are people who used to work under me where I saw back then that they had the potential to go further and I pushed them. Experienced, old hands like me have a whole lot of knowledge to impart, provided people are willing to learn, as it is all for them to gain,” he said.
On the upcoming 2023 Men’s Junior World Cup, Brian admitted that there are definitely challenges ahead, but was looking forward to hosting a good, memorable and successful tournament that will be fondly remembered for years to come.
“Hosting an international tournament like this with sixteen different national teams is not cheap, so we are trying to keep the costs down. There are a lot of requirements from the FIH that we have to adhere to and meet. This is not something that can be done to our whims and fancies. Whatever we do there are guidelines which we must follow.
“We know what we have to do, to get things done, and done right. But being Malaysian, we will persevere and get things done. It can get frustrating and stressful at times but we will take it all in our stride and continue to push for the very best,” he insisted.
“This is not just another international tournament, this is the World Cup. The pressure will be on the players, coaches and managers. As the organisers, we have to ensure everything goes according to plan and everyone from the teams to the fans enjoy the World Cup experience,” he added.
Brian divulged that his responsibility as the events manager is to get the venue and the facilities up to mark and ready to host the World Cup come December, which is just three months away.
“There will be forty-eight matches throughout the World Cup tournament which will be broadcast live, where there will be six games played in a day, with the first match commencing at 9am and the last match of the day at 8pm.
“This is the reason why we are using one pitch instead of two, and therefore there will be more pressure. Because with all the games being played on one pitch, my main concern will be the weather, as the weather can be quite unpredictable, as we only have a certain number of days for the World Cup.
“The pitch can hold any amount of matches, it is playable and it is one of the best, if not the best in the country. So all forty-eight matches being played on the same pitch is not a big deal,” he said.
