Turf trauma queers World Cup pitch

NEW DELHI: A senior Sports Authority of India (SAI) official, in his post on a social networking site recently, had criticised the Indian hockey team’s below-par showing in the ongoing World Cup. Among other things, he had also talked about how SAI had left no stone unturned in setting up a “state-of-the-art stadium”.

He didn’t mention about the turf in the middle, though, which is something that needs attention. There’s no denying the fact that the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, venue of the World Cup, will rank amongst the best in the world. But when it comes to the hockey pitch, the refrain is common: It’s not battle ready to host an important event like the World Cup. The turf has behaved like an under-prepared cricket pitch; the unexpected bounce has been troubling all the teams. There’s also talk that the increasing number of injuries to players is because of its uneven nature.

FIH president Leandro Negre too has admitted that the pitch should have been prepared at least six months in advance. “That’s the normal time a new turf needs to settle down. But in this case we had no such option as there was hardly any time left to host some practice matches to check its match-worthiness,” he had told this paper just before the start of the event.

Indian coach Jose Brasa too has been highlighting the on-pitch problems his team has been facing. “We missed two short-corners because of the uneven bounce. It’s difficult to stop the ball, particularly when you are taking the shot from the north end. The pitch plays okay when it’s watered but the problems start when it dries up. In fact, we requested the technical officer to water the pitch before the match but he would have none of it,” the Spaniard complained after Monday’s final league match against South Africa, which ended in a 3-3 draw.

Pakistan coach Shahid Ali Khan too has been quite vocal about the uneven pitch. “It’s a bit too wobbly. It’s a difficult pitch, but then, it’s the same for everyone,” he said.

Australian coach Ric Charlesworth was more wary about some particular spots. “There are some spots where the ball suddenly wobbles up. It can injure the players,” he said. The players on the field are experiencing the effects first hand. Dutch penalty-corner specialist Taeke Taekema, while not exactly criticising the pitch, felt it would have helped had the turf hosted some practice games before the World Cup. “It’s a brand new turf. It needs some time to settle down.”

FIH technical manager Roger Webb agreed: “There’s no problem with the quality of the pitch or its installation. Poligras is a trustworthy brand recognised by the FIH. But what is important is that any new pitch needs to be tested well. The pitch ought have been ready at least five-six months in advance.”