CHANDIGARH: Serious and sincere efforts are needed for rejuvenation of hockey in the state.
Punjab runners-up in the 1989 national hockey championship stumped to fourth place in the last one played on natural grass at Jammu last month. A glance at the performance of the state team’s juniors and seniors and national school games does not present a satisfactory picture.
Representation of the state in national teams has been on the decline. For example in the XI Asian Games Indian men and women teams had one player each from the state.
On the other hand one finds that most of the top teams of the country Punjab and Sind Bank Rail Coach Factory ASC EME Punjab Police and Border Security Force are all stationed at Jalandhar.
Another team JCT Mills has faded out for unknown reasons.
Another disturbing factor is that the State is getting little representation in national camps both in juniors and seniors besides universities For example the probable from universities for senior and junior camps have hardly a player from Punjab.
The state has now a new artificial pitch at Jalandhar Agreed that the pitch is not properly laid but stilt it can be used for training.
The Punjab government has a bug sports department. The Sports Authority of India has several schemes for developing games at grass-root level.
The Sports Department would do well if it puts its newly created infrastructure 10 fall use by seeking help and cooperation from the Sports Authority of India.
For example the new hockey stadium at Burlton Park in Jalandhar can well be converted into a hockey academy The Sports Department should admit students in three different age groups to start the academy. Students admitted to the academy should be ensured admission in regular schools in the district. For example trainees belonging to below 13 years age group should be free to seek admission to public government or a private school of their choice. The state should ‘bear their expenses besides providing free board lodging and a stipend to those admitted to the academy. To begin with the department could hold open trials for under-13 under15 and under-18 sections in March-April this year to start the hockey academy. A couple of best hockey coaches available with the department should be posted there. The department can use the accommodation of the cricket stadium for running the hostel until its own building comes up besides hockey coaches the department should have a regular physical conditioning expert posted at the academy.
To make it an ideal training center the department should also provide audiovisual aids a regular hockey library — seminar room coaching stints by experts from other states and abroad besides organizing regular competitions and exhibitions: against teams from other states and abroad.
Similarly the Guru Nanak Sadium at Ludhians could be utilized for starting an atheistic academy of even an academy for indoor sports. Some of the indoor sports can be shifted to Patiala The proposed academies would not only ensure proper maintenance of the newly created modem infrastructure but also provide sufficient training facilities to the youngsters of the state.
Otherwise the standing of the state in most of the disciplines has been constantly on decline. We do not boast of Balbirs Udhams Prithipals jarnails Parnimders Inders Gurdeeps Praveen Kumars Kamaljit Sandhus Manjit Walias or Kanwal Thakurs any more.
The State is lucky to have a sports official in its Governor. All it needs is proper and meticulous planning to put to optimum use its infrastructure and manpower mostly trained in getting results so that the state could climb to the top in the field of sports again.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 8, 1991
