The Andra Prasdesh government seemed to have assured the organizers of the 6th Junior Asia Cup a whopping sum of Rs.50 lakh to meet the expenses, besides making Rs. 20 lac worth amenities and facilities free of cost.

During the Asia Cup tournament (11th-18th July), the ad-hoc committee of the IOA in charge of hockey, will also organize a brain-storming session with former Olympians, to come out with a ‘road map’ for a better future. It is gathered that the deliberations and the future course of action would be revealed by Suresh Kalmadi, chairman, ad-hoc committee, to the media on the concluding day of the tournament.

Further, Asian Hockey Confederation’s umpiring committee will also meet on July 16 at Hampshire Plaza Hotel and the 49th AHF Council meeting on the next day at the same venue.

FIH President Els Van Breda Vriesman and other top brass of Asian Hockey Federation are expected to participate in the AHF Council meeting.

It is worthwhile to recollect that the previous AHF Council meeting was held in Chennai during the Asia Cup last year.

In a message to media, Dinesh Reddy, Hyderabad Hockey Association president, thanked Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy for releasing a grant of Rs.50 lakhs towards the conduct of the event and also giving the world-class infrastructure free of cost which otherwise would have cost HHA about Rs.20 lakhs.

It is interesting coincidence that the Tamil Nadu government last year released about Rs.30 lakh to Tamil Nadu Hockey Assocition to organize the senior Asia Cup in Chennai.

The action of both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments point to the fact that the public money is still pumped into hockey while the guardians of the game are unable to garner market support for hockey events.

It is ideal if the public money is spent on creating wealth such as hockey ground and hostels (infrastructure support), while organizing events such as Asia Cup need to come at the effort (read purse) of the Federaions.