Indian hockey @100: Pune veterans remember homegrown legends and call for a revival of interest

Eliza Nelson, one of my seniors from St Anne’s High School, Pune, had led a gold medal-winning team at the 1982 Asian Games. My late coach, Minoo Golakari, was one of the founding members of NIS Patiala Coaching and, in my opinion, the most significant contributor to the sport from Pune. He established the groundwork for women’s hockey in Pune and throughout India. I am pleased to state that both Eliza Nelson and I were Minoo Golakari’s students,” said former Maharashtra and Pune University Captain Nadiya Shaikh.

Satinder Pal Walia, former international player and veteran coach to the national women’s hockey team, said players from the city are aware of what an honour it is to play the sport and represent the country. “I started playing when I was in school in 1955. It has been quite the journey watching the sport evolve,” said Pal Walia.

A cloud over the future
But the veterans say that “the expanse of the game is falling short in cities, such as Pune and Mumbai, which once upon a time breathed life into the game”. Despite raising some of the finest players of the country, the sport today finds limited recognition in Pune now, with dwindling participation, fewer tournaments and a noticeable decline in public engagement.

Vijaya Sutar, a national player from Krida Prabodhini, says that hockey used to be mostly played in and around Khadki and in a few selected convent schools in the city. “Today, the sport is neither celebrated nor promoted much. While more popular in the northern states, the state of Maharashtra must take measures to preserve its long-standing legacy in the sport,” he said.

Sutar said the sport needs the kind of support and attention that new sports such as rugby and pickleball are being showered with. Walia added that an urgent need is being felt for greater institutional support and visibility for the sport.

“I believe we need to market hockey as much as we market the other sports in the country. I believe such an initiative can come from the government itself. The state should not only encourage schools to have their own teams but also provide them with all the necessary equipment, facilities and funding to promote hockey and give it the recognition it deserves. We must start somewhere,” said Walia. Meanwhile, let the celebrations begin.