Zafar calls for promotion of hockey at grassroot level

NEW DELHI: Zafar Iqbal is honoured to be a proud recipient of the Padma Shri award, but the former India hockey captain has urged all the stakeholders to be more proactive in promoting the national game at the grassroot level to help the sport reclaim its past glory.

“I only knew about the award two hours before the government released the names. But it’s a great honour for me. I am very pleased to see hockey getting recognition. It’s a big thing for my family and hockey fraternity as a whole,” Zafar said.

“But I am little worried about the future of the game. We need to work very hard at the grassroot level to revive hockey. Hockey needs monetary help from the corporate sector to survive.

“Though the government is doing its bid, there is hardly any incentive for the grassroot level players. So, I feel sport should be included as a subject in schools rather than just being a part of extra curricular activities,” he added.

Zafar, a qualified engineer from Aligarh and a senior executive with Air India, said he is grateful to his mother who inspired him to take to sports.

“My mother was very keen (for the award). She never stopped me from playing hockey. So I dedicate this award to her,” said the nippy winger who was a member of the 1980 team that won the eighth and the last Olympic gold medal for India in Moscow.

Zafar along with Indian women’s cricket team captain Jhulan Goswami and former champion archer Limba Ram were among the sportspersons chosen for the prestigious Padma Shri awards announced on the eve of the Republic Day on Wednesday.