It’s often said that wins and losses are part and parcel of a game and one must never forget the sportsperson spirit. There have been many examples where sportspeople have gone an extra step to aid their opponents or teammates or whoever in times of need. A similar example cum story has emerged from the recently concluded 2022 Commonwealth Games.
South Africa’s Men’s Hockey team’s coach has revealed a heart-melting story that involves England Men’s team assistant coach Kwan Browne. Iain Shippey revealed how Kwan Browne helped the team find a base in a school and did not charge even a penny. Shippey shared the story on the eve of the Bronze medal match between England and South Africa and said that these stories must be told.
“Connections: True story on the eve of the Bronze medal match between England and SA, this is one of the background stories that should be told before anyone stands on a podium. Two weeks before the Commonwealth Games, the SA Men's Hockey team had not confirmed a venue for their training camp in the UK. Unbeknown to the team, the management held a crisis meeting as we endeavoured to resolve this dilemma. We had no sponsor and urgently needed a solution,” Shippey started the story.
“We had to call people and ask if they would host us. One of our players suggested that we call Kwan Browne to ask him if he could help. It was 11:59 on the clock as it was two days before the end of the school year and we were looking to base at a school with access to a boarding house, a hockey field, and a gym.
“Kwan moved heaven and earth for us and asked Mill Hill School, where he is Director of Hockey if they could host us. He came back with the message. 'You can stay for free, please can you pay the cost price of the food.'' The kindness of this gesture left us speechless.
“Only then did we discover that Kwan was also the assistant coach of England. He went the extra mile for the team who would contend against his England for the Bronze medal. These are the stories that need to be told. Tomorrow will be agony for one of the teams and ecstasy for the other. Mill Hill School and Kwan Browne thanks for keeping us in the race!”
This post from Shippey was also appreciated by the England Hockey team's social media page as they shared snapshots of the post.
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