The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Hockey still a favourite

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Hockey still a favourite

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Decision to remove it from priority list makes no difference Youngsters are playing for the sheer love of the sport despite the Centre removing it from its priority list

PLAYFUL MOOD: Youngsters playing hockey at a summer coaching camp at Gymkhana Grounds. - Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

HYDERABAD: The Centre's decision to remove hockey, the national sport from its priority list has made little impact at the grassroot level. For most of the city lads, hockey is still the favourite game.

The sight of 90-odd youngsters dabbling with hockey sticks on a hot morning at Gymkhana Grounds proves this .

Apparently, these budding players are unaware of the nuances of the whole episode, which unfolded two days ago, and even its impact. They are there for the sheer love of the sport.

Learning basics

With SAI coach N. Madhukaran diligently teaching them basics in the ongoing summer camp with 1996 Atlanta Olympian Edwards Alloysius joining him, the unbridled enthusiasm amongst the youngsters, who are below 16 years, is something which should delight the connoisseurs.

No wonder triple Olympian N. Mukesh Kumar was pleased with their zeal. "The Government move does not mean much to these kids. It will only have a bearing on the national teams looking for camps. The annual grant from the Government is mostly spent on conducting national camps for different age groups. Otherwise, there is very little the Federation looks for from the Government," he explains. Madhukaran, the former India women's coach, feels it is unfortunate that even women's hockey, which picked a bronze in the Doha Asiad, has to suffer because of this.

Little motivation

What does this move mean to coaches like him? "Definitely, to get motivated will be difficult. There might be instances of parents discouraging their kids from playing hockey because of the adverse publicity the game got because of the decision," feels the SAI coach. "But at the same these kids rekindle our enthusiasm."

Alloyisus believes these kids are a true reflection of the plain fact that there are many who are willing to play hockey even now. "What we have to ensure is a continuity in their training after summer too," he asserts.

With the SAAP providing hockey sticks free of cost to all the trainees and a generous sponsor taking care of diet in the morning, the trainees are definitely enjoying. A sponsor had also come forward to present T-shirts to all the trainees by this month-end.

Well, who says hockey is dying? The onus is on the officials to complement the youthful exuberance of these kids with corrective measures to groom them into many more Mukesh Kumars, Dhanraj Pillais. So, are the officials ready for the challenge?

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