رابطة رواد الهوكي المصرية

رابطة رواد الهوكي المصري

في هذه الصورة 20 من أعضاء رابطة رواد الهوكي المصرية وعددهم الكلي يقارب الأربعين (أغلبهم فوق سن الستين وقليل تحت الخمسين وقليل فوق السبعين). وهم يمثلون نموذج للتعمر النشط. ومازالوا حتى الأن يمارسون الرياضة بإنتظام أسبوعياً منذ بدأوا ممارستها في سن المراهقة. والرياضة لهم تمثل جانب مهم في حياتهم حيث يحضرون وحدهم بقيادة سيارة أو بالمواصلات العامة ومنهم من يأتي من خارج القاهرة من السويس وبورسعيد والشرقية(يتمتعون بالإستقلالية). والرياضة تمل وسيلة لإستمرار التفاعل الإجتماعي والحفاظ على رابطة بينهم. الهوكي ساهم في إحتفاظهم باللياقة البدنية العالية والأداء الوظيفي المعتدل. بغض النظر عن ما يعانونه من أمراض (أحدهم يعاني من الشريان التاجي وعمل عملية تغيير شرايين وأخر يعاني من خشونة فقرات الظهر بشدة وأخر يعاني من خشونة مفصل الركبة الشديد وأخر يوم إلتقاط الصورة كان ياني من كسر في أحد ذراعيه وأصر وإستمر في اللعب معهم على الرغم من وضع أحد ذراعيه في الجبس).

أحد مباريات رابطة رواد الهوكي المصري

الهوكي بالنسبة لهم يمثل أمل وتحقيق للذات حيث ينتظر بعضهم لقائهم الأسبوعي للعب مع زملائه وينتظرون الدورة العالمية السنوية لرواد الهوكي للسفر للعب مع نظرائهم من منتخبات رواد الهوكي في العالم (يوجد حوالي تسعة دول بها منتخبات لرواد الهوكي ويتبعوا الإتحاد الدولي لرواد الهوكي (وحارس مرمى منتخب إسكتلندا عمره 85 عام ويتمتع بمرونة غير عادية). وقد حصل منتخب مصر (فوق الستين عام) على المركز الثالث في أحد الدورات. تعرفت عليهم بالصدفة أثناء فحصي لأحدهم حيث وجدت إنخفاض في معدل ضربات القلب وسألت سؤال روتيني (متوقعاً الإجابة بالنفي) إذا كان يمارس رياضة؟ وفوجئت أنه ممارس منتظم لرياضة الهوكي. وبدأت قصة تعرفي على هذا الإنجاز الذي تحقق على أرض الواقع.. They are a mix of multiple backgrounds (social and economic and educational) they include the doctor, the Professor, the policeman, the bussiness man, the Agronomist and other jobs. But they have Hockey in common to unite them. To my surprise 3 members in that day were from outside Cairo and had to travel at least a 2 hour trip to play their weekly Saturday game (the head of the asociation mentioned several other members from outside Cairo). Some of them are active smokers (but in moderate amount), some have undergone coronary arteries bybass graffts (changed their arterial supply to heart), some of them have serious low back pain (lumber spondylosis) and mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis but they all persist on playing their weekly game. One of them a 71 year old Profesor of Physics had a fracture in one arm that was put into cast but he insisted on playing with a single hand and his performance was realy so impressive as regard his speed and flexability.Two of them have some illnesses (one was morbid obesity and severe knee osteoarthritis) that prevented them from playing but they insisted on attending the weekly game as watchers.

This experience made me ashamed of my self as a non-smoker young person that suffer shortness of breath after climbing stairs in a 4 levels building. As i now own a car and use the elevator regularly and stopped playing football (soccer) 4 years ago due to my occupation.

The experience made me also hope to intiate again my connections with my old friends that i used to play with, hoping that we can play regularly on a monthly basis at least. I also started walking more regularly and started avoiding using my car as much as possible. I hope when i am old i would be in the same fitness as those "Active agers" with the same spirit.

In Egypt there are few sports veterans association (Tennis, swimming, Footbal-soccer, Hockey). There is a Tennis veteran association in Jordan. Internationaly there is a federation for the Hockey veterans Masters & Grand Masters and teams are graded according to age (above 45y, above 50y, above 60 & above 70y). The +45 championship has a few teams (when i knew this i become more satisfied) as in this age people are busy pushing hard in their professional carriers. Then the teams start to be more with advancing age until the +70 championship which still suffer shortage of members (only 4 Hockey veterans in Egypt +70). I even knew that the goal keeper of Scotland team in 85 year old and he has a marvellous physical fittness (i hope we all be like him when we age).

The Egyptian Hockey veterans team has participated in many championships in Europe and the world championships and won the 3rd place in the last championship in March 2013. Th Egyptian team have no financial support from the government, thier clubs, the national or international Hockey association or any sponser. They travel on their expense paying everything out of their pocket. When they talk about themselves you feel that they are proud of their Hockey.

We all ought to play play play! This would help us to age well.