Field Hockey, Builder, 2022 |
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The history of field hockey in Canada has roots in Coquitlam, thanks to the endless dedication of Shiv Jagday. The long-time Coquitlam resident has served the sport and its players in various positions for more than 40 years, helping establish the national presence on the international stage.
Jagday immigrated to Canada in 1976 and quickly made an impact on the Canadian field hockey circuit. At the local club level, he contributed as a coach and manager, helping to guide countless players in the non-ice variety of stickball.
His efforts paid dividends early in 1981 with a silver medal for the Canadian junior men’s team at the Jr. Pan Am Games, earning the nation’s first-ever ticket to the World Cup. In 1983 as head coach, Jagday piloted the Canadian men’s national team to a shocking first-ever Pan Am Games gold in Venezuela, defeating Argentina 3-1 in the final.
The decade would see Jagday’s influence pay off for Canada by qualifying for consecutive Olympic Games (finishing 10th in Los Angeles), a pair of Pan Am gold wins, and competing in back-to-back World Cups at both the senior and junior levels.
Jagday served as head coach and technical director at both the provincial (B.C., Saskatchewan) and national levels into the 1990s. Son Ronnie would play for Canada at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Beginning in 1998, he served a seven-year stint as U.S. men’s head coach and has been involved with the Tri-City Eagles Field Hockey Club for a number of years.
His contributions over the years have helped establish Canada as a force on the global stage, and it is why he’s an extremely deserving addition to the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame’s builder category.