What happened when this German Umpire got injured during a hockey game?

Umpires play a huge and important role in any sport. Hockey is no different when it comes to umpires officiating the game fairly and without any bias. However, even the most experienced and skilled umpire can get injured during a hockey game.

Even though there are many reasons why are at risk of getting injured in a hockey game, one of the biggest reasons is the proximity of the umpires with the players. The sticks used by players in a hockey game can also sometimes cause injury to the umpires. One such instance of an umpire getting injured occurred at the 2023 International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s World Cup held in India.

Netherlands vs South Korea

In the 2023 FIH Men’s World Cup quarter-final clash between the Netherlands and South Korea, German umpire, Ben Goengten got injured. The incident took place on the 25th of January in the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar in the 28th minute when South Korean player, Jang Jonghyun’s drag flick after being deflected off the stick of a Netherlands player hit Goengten in the face.

After being hit in the face the German umpire fell to the ground. Seeing Goengten down on the ground his New Zealander co-umpire Gareth Greenfield and the tournament’s medical team hurried to aid him. Together with the medical staff, the injured umpire hurried off the pitch while holding his face with one hand.

He was later replaced by the reserve Indian umpire of the match, Raghu Prasad. The game went on smoothly after the unfortunate incident. Netherlands went on to beat South Korea by a 5-1 margin to qualify for the Semi-Finals. The Netherlands lost their Semi-Final clash against the eventual champions Belgium in the penalties (3-2). The Netherlands later won their third-place match against Australia by a 3-1 margin.

What can the umpires do?

Umpires to prevent injuries can take many steps. One of the steps that need to be taken is that the umpires are given proper training and are well-equipped to match the pace of the game. Moreover, they should be provided with proper protective gear such as helmets and shin pads to minimize the impact caused by collisions or after being hit by a player’s stick.

Also Read: Olympics: Unique record of the Indian hockey team that might never be broken.

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