Sports Ministry urged to focus on national game

MADURAI: An Indian Hockey player on Tuesday urged the Sports Ministry to focus on national game and fund the players, lamenting that there was none to promote the sport.

“While cricket is being promoted through IPL, spending several thousand crores (of rupeees), there is no one to promote the national game of Hockey. The corporate sector also is not doing anything to promote the game. They should support the game and bring it to its original glory in the country,” Indian Hockey team player and Hockey Development Captain V Raja said.

He also stressed the need for more hockey grounds for developing the game.

Talking to newsmen after participating at a local College function at Tiruparankunram near here, he said “compared to other countries we don’t have enough number of hockey grounds. The state governments also should play a major role in promoting hockey. Every district should have a hockey ground and an academy and frequent competitions should be held to promote the game.”

Rural schools should have hockey grounds and also train students in the game. Only then the country’s traditional game could be saved from perishing, he said.