Traditional talent pools in UP,Maharashtra drying up

“If you look at the current roster,almost 99 per cent of the players are either from Punjab or Karnataka. The main reason for this is that the usual powerhouses,such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra,have struggled to produce quality players,” says former India coach Harendra Singh.

While there is no simple explanation for Uttar Pradesh’s fall from grace as Indian hockey’s hotbed,administrative failures and disharmony have resulted in the sport’s downfall in Maharashtra,especially in Mumbai. “If a child does not want to come to a hockey ground,what can you do?” wonders Mohammed Shahid,a member of the Indian team that won gold at 1980 Olympics. “There’s no motivation for youngsters to take up hockey.”

India discard Tushar Khandker was the last known face to have emerged from UP. Twenty-four-year-old Danish Mujtaba from Allahabad has been making rapid strides but a knee surgery has kept him out. Yuvraj Walmiki is the only player to have come out of Mumbai in nearly a decade but he too has been out of the national team for more than a year. The story in Pune is no different. Vikas Pillay,younger brother of former India midfielder Vikram,is in the probables for the Asia Cup,ending the long wait for a player from Pune.

Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay says: “It’s been almost four years that we have had a domestic tournament in Mumbai. The Aga Khan Cup and Gold Cup were among the most keenly contested in the past,but they are no longer conducted. How will players from the city get better if you don’t have a strong local structure? Last month’s nationals exposed Mumbai’s shortcomings.”

The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd has formed an advisory panel comprising prominent Olympians and internationals from the city,led by Viren Rasquinha. “We want to stop all the controversy that has marred MHAL over the years and focus on the game,” Rasquinha said at the time of joining.