Twenty-year-old turf needs replacement

Gayatri Parameswaran

Players suffer as a result of deadlock between Maharashtra Hockey Association and state government

MUMBAI: ne doesn’t need an expert to point out how Indian hockey has plummeted to its lowest-ever level.

A microcosm of this phenomenon can be witnessed at the Mumbai Hockey Association’s (MHA) Mahindra Stadium, where the artificial turf has been begging attention for the past decade, but to no avail.

The result — the surface has turned slippery, players are reluctant to take risks and the ones who do, end up suffering injuries. The standard of hockey has dipped adding to the long list of woes linked to the sport.

“The turf has exceeded its lifespan and needs to be changed as soon as possible. There are certain patches, which are extremely worn out. The slippery conditions could cause knee, ankle or even back injuries,” said former Indian captain Dhanraj Pillay.

MHA secretary, Commander Kehar Singh echoed Pillay’s complaints. “The turf is completely worn out. The dirt and the water combine to make the surface slippery and players suffer the most,” said Singh.

The reason for the delay in replacement of the turf is the long-standing court case between the state government and the MHA. “The stadium’s land lease ended on December 31, 2003. The government denied us extension of the lease, which we challenged in court in 2006. The court upheld the government’s order,” Singh said, adding that the MHA didn’t want to give up the land and furthered the cause to the Bombay High Court in 2007.

The HC in turn stayed the government’s eviction orders and the case stands stranded. Now, the government has bargained with the MHA to withdraw the case from the court and avail the land lease in return. “We don’t trust the government. What if the government forgets its promise tomorrow? So, we have demanded that they sign the lease first, which can be produced in court as a settlement,” Singh added.

However, with the ongoing Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in Pune, all sports ministry officials are busy with its proceedings and the matter would take at least a month to receive attention.

Surface tension

-Cost of the AstroTurf when it was purchased in 1988 — Rs 1 crore

-Approximate cost of new AstroTurf — Rs 2 crore

-Amount spent in repairing it in 2005 — Rs 14 lakh

-Time since the turf has been replaced — 20 years

-Average life of AstroTurf — eight years