‘SAI players did not get their due in state hockey tourney’

Uttar Pradesh,who failed to make it to the quarter-finals last year with one win and one loss,has been clubbed with Jharkhand and Delhi in Pool D.

The Uttar Pradesh Hockey officials claimed that SAI teams “could not have played in the state tournament since it was an inter-regional type of event.” On the question of allowing four hostel and a sports college team to participate in the tournament,an Uttar Pradesh Hockey official said that the state government-run sports hostels teams participated in “the tournament as it was organised in association with the UP Sports Directorate whereas SAI is run by the central government.”

Talking to The Indian Express,Regional Director SAI Rachana Govil said,“Why has SAI opened centres in Uttar Pradesh? We select the talented players. At Lucknow SAI sub-centre itself,majority of the players belong to UP. But what is the purpose of providing quality training when this promising trainees cannot play in tournaments which are basis for selecting the UP team and the players are compelled to take part in state tournaments only through regional teams?”

Govil said,“Those who are planning things or looking after the organisation of hockey tournaments have to plan things in such a way that best state team gets selected so that it can pose a stiff challenge. Of course winning or losing in a tournament is a part of the game but the teams should always be formed with good strategies. Apart from this,it should also be considered that those who are sports officers or regional sports officers are not the office-bearers of state sports bodies and the national sports federations. This will ensure that all players get a level playing field whether they are from the state government-run sports hostels or not.” Govil also said that SAI will take up the matter seriously as “talent exists in both the SAI centre teams and the state government-run sports hostel and sports college teams. They should all participate in such tournaments. Large number of good teams participating in a competition is always good. The best talented gets selected as the state team then.”

Replying to a question,Uttar Pradesh Hockey officials denied that the differences between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India had anything to do with the SAI teams not getting a chance to play in the tournament. It may be mentioned that SAI players have been participating in the events organised by IHF also.

Hockey championship

As many as 27 teams from across the country,including defending champions Haryana,runners-up Odisha and third-place holders Punjab,would be seen in action in the nine-day ‘2nd Hockey India Junior Men’s Hockey Championship’,beginning September 1,at the Major Dhyan Chand synthetic turf stadium at Guru Govind Singh Sports College,Lucknow. Organising Secretary of the tournament and RSO,Lucknow RP Singh informed that around 50 coaches from across the country would also be participating in the 1st FIH Hockey India High Performance Coaching Camp to be held from September 4-9 at Lucknow.