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A sea of bright Netherlands orange illuminated a most unlikely place.Back in 2008, the nation with about 16 million people at the time, in an area roughly half the size of Indiana, played for the Olympic gold medal in womens field hockey. Its opponent was the host nation, China, which boasted a population of about 1.3 billion.One would never have guessed those numbers, judging by the crowd. It was largely filled with orange, the standout color on the Netherlands uniforms. The Dutch won, and Beijing seemed more like Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague.There was orange everywhere, said Max Caldas, an assistant coach for that team who now is the mens head coach. We are very proud about our colors and very proud to represent the country.The small nation between Belgium and Germany has put up big field hockey results for nearly a century, and the sport holds a significant place in its culture. The Oranje men have won two Olympic gold medals and three World Cups. They won their first Olympic medal, a silver, in 1928 in Amsterdam. The womens team is ranked No. 1 in the world and is seeking its third consecutive gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. It has won the World Cup a record seven times, with the first title coming in the inaugural event in 1974. No other nation has won more than twice.Field hockey trails only soccer in interest in the Netherlands. The nations hockey federation said some 253,000 people play club hockey there -- roughly one in 67 residents.They see the national teams playing up close, they can mimic and copy, and you see a huge amount of success from that model, said Craig Parnham, the U.S. womens coach who lived in the Netherlands and speaks Dutch. Success breeds success.Several factors have helped the nation overcome its small population.The Netherlands, among the worlds wealthiest nations per capita, has committed significant resources to the advancement of the game, starting at the youth level. Australia mens coach Graham Reid remembers playing in the Netherlands, back when there were about 40 artificial surfaces in the country, a huge number at the time. Now, the nations hockey federation said the country has 880 artificial surfaces -- a massive number for such a small nation, and important because of the way the sport beats up grass fields.Theres a lot of money in the sport over there, which allows them to develop training programs, to develop things that help develop players and the player base, participation numbers, Reid said.The way the teams play grab attention, too. Their aggressive style of play influenced the total football style the Dutch soccer team used to finish second at the 1974 mens World Cup. In total football, versatile players seamlessly switch positions, allowing the team to maintain its organizational structure.The nations mens and womens sides are known for successful penalty corners and well-placed passes. For example, in the 2008 Olympics, Maartje Paumen led the womens tournament with 11 goals, all on penalty corners. No other player scored more than five goals in the tournament.Reid used fanatical, almost to describe the way the nation develops technical skills.Dutch hockey are trailblazers in the way they play, said Caldas, who coached the Netherlands women to gold in 2012. Always had very creative players. We always had a great penalty corners, best in the world for men and the women. Thats a part of our DNA.Four former womens International Hockey Federation (FIH) players of the year -- Naomi van As (2009), Paumen (2011, 2012), Ellen Hoog (2014) and Lidewij Welten (2015) -- are on the current roster for a nation that has had six different winners. Even with the individual success, the teams rich tradition keeps the stars focused on the big picture.Each player has a different ability, Netherlands womens coach Alyson Annan said. Each player can do something that some girls cant. They learn and identify and share with each other, and when someone is weaker at something than another, they fill the gaps for each other.On the mens side, Robert van der Horst was the FIH player of the year last year. In the past, Teun de Nooijer won three times and Stephan Veen won twice for the Dutch.To have a nation like that produce so many great hockey players is quite phenomenal, Reid said.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAPCamiseta Marcelo . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Camiseta Real Madrid Barata . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. http://www.nuevacamisetadelrealmadrid.com/ . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Camiseta Sergio Ramos España . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Tienda Real Madrid Online . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency.On a day when the Lodha Committee handed over to the BCCI its first set of timelines for the implementation of its reforms, the Indian board has said it began the process of implementing them immediately after the Supreme Court issued its order on the matter on July 18. This is a markedly conciliatory position from the BCCI - it is the first time it has admitted to beginning the process of implementing the recommendations - which had till now adopted a combative stance for the most part.The BCCI has till September 30 to, among other things, amend its rules and regulations, as per the Lodha directive issued on Tuesday. The first phase of reform, comprising recommendations on 11 topics with sub-divisions, is to be completed by October 15. In all, the court had given the BCCI a maximum of six months to implement all the recommendations, from the date of issue of the order. Despite the process being set in motion, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, who had met with the Lodha Committee on Tuesday to discuss the deadlines, indicated that the boards reservations over the verdict remained; he said it would continue to pursue its legal challenge of the verdict.Whatever BCCI is doing… the implementation process is going on; there is unanimous agreement on both sides that till - or if - the court stays it, this report is to be implemented, Shirke told ESPNcricinfo after meeting with the Lodha Committee in Delhi. The process [of implementation] is already going on. The process started from July 18.The legal process [against the verdict] is a totally different matter; the implementation [of the recommendations] is a totally different matter. [Filing the review petition against the verdict] is a totally separate process. We have time till August 18 [30 days since the Supreme Courts verdict]. We will file it whenever its ready.According to a press release from the Lodha Committee, Shirke will have to furnish a report of compliance to the timelines by August 25.dddddddddddd The BCCI was also directed to ensure full transparency of all tenders floated and bids invited by it, and all contracts entered into with effect from July 18. This will include the broadcast rights awarded to Star India for the two-match T20I series to be played in the USA later this month.The first list of recommendations to be implemented include adopting amendments to the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of the BCCI, the amendment of constitutions of state and member associations, reorganisation of the zones, and setting in motion the creation of the players association.Shirke said the meeting had been very good, and that there was no acrimony in light of the remarks made by former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, who was appointed by the BCCI to advise it on the Lodha verdict. [There was] no problem, Shirke said. They are all justices of the highest court. What do you expect? People at a certain level can easily differentiate things.How does Justice Katjus [remarks] come up in this meeting? When the meeting was called for implementation of [the Lodha recommendations] how does he feature in that?BCCI president Anurag Thakur, who is also a member of parliament with Indias ruling party, the BJP, couldnt attend the meeting with parliament in session. Shirke felt Thakurs absence was unlikely to attract contempt proceedings from the Lodha Committee, considering that he had a legitimate reason.It is not a problem because he has already given a very valid reason, Shirke said. The parliament is on and the letter to that effect has already been submitted. According to me, thats not an issue. If the committee feels its an issue then its for them to decide. ' ' '