NEW DELHI: The Indian Hockey Federation (THF) is seriously contemplating changing the format of the sensor national championship.
There is the likelihood of a deviation from the present format of eight pools with four teams each, to eight teams in four pools.
This will enable even the weaker teams who travel long distance to play at least seven matches in the league sage and the selectors will have more time to assess the available talent.
This was disclosed by IHF president Raghunandan Prasad, while talking to UNI here.
Another proposal likely to be discussed at the next executive meeting of the IHF, could be the revival of the zonal format of the championship with two top teams from each zone along with the institutional teams qualifying for the main championship.
While refuting the allegations the 54th senior nationals at Jammu were not conducted properly and were overcrowded, Mr Prasad sad the [HF is always “receptive to new ideas for the betterment of the game.”
Mr Prasad, agreed that the IHF had made it compulsory to hold nationals only ‘on Astroturf but since # majority of the states do not have the facility as yet “we cannot confine nationals to two or three places.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 11, 1991
