Turf luck continues for J&K hockey

The first astroturf in the state has been a victim of bad luck since its sanction in 1987 and has been encountering troubles right from the beginning. Soon after its sanction, global tenders were floated and Med-Expo bagged the contract at a cost of $ 62 per sq metre for the 6,000 sq metre area. The total cost of the project was estimatedat Rs 2.13 crore at the time of issuing tenders.

Originally, the state government had proposed to lay the astroturf in Srinagar but soil tests showed negative results. Later, the work remained buried in files. However, the case was reopened in the mid-nineties and the venue was shifted to Jammu. The Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) laid the foundation in 1995-96. During the same period, a separate tube well for watering the turf was also constructed.

Med-Expo supplied the 27 rolls but did not bother to installing them, till the state chief minister intervened, with threats of blacklisting the firm.This fresh delay has irked hockey players. One player, Rupinder Singh, said the lack of a turf affected their performance at the Nationals.