School Hockey: New Dawn for Hockey at DAV College,

Hockey has come where it should. Amritsar’s leading educational epitome enlarged its vast canvas with the induction of hockey team.

Realizing the potential of hockey in the holy city, DAV College, Amritsar, is introducing hockey for the first time in its 54- year-old existence; and would form a men’s team out of 50 student probables. Amritsar has a glorious tradition of producing such stalwarts in hockey as Bakhshish Singh, Dharam Singh, Rajinder Singh senior, Balwinder Singh Shammi, Balbir Singh Randhawa and Ajinder Pal Singh Malhi. Women players of the city, who represented the country, include Amandeep Kaur, Kuldeep Kaur, Parminder Kaur and Pushpinder Kaur and Nirmal Nimmi.

Presently, only Guru Gobind Sing College, Sarhali, Khalsa College, Khalsa College for Women, BBK DAV College for Women already have their hockey teams. Now, the DAV has filled the long pending demand of hockey lovers with the drafting of a hockey team.

Principal Dr Satish Sharma initiated this step, as he himself is a big lover of the sport. “The primary reason behind this initiative is that the sports department of the college lacked a team of hockey players. So we decided to come up with one from this session. Besides, the national sport has been in a state of neglect for quite some time now. This is a small initiative from our side to contribute towards the sport,” said Dr Sharma. He added that introduction of hockey would be to popularize the national game

The Head, Physical Education Depatt, K.L.Godara said that he hoped that the move would come as a positive initiative for the department and would be successful in adding laurels to the department.

Further, the college has decided to come up with teams of both men and women players. “We would definitely prefer to have teams of both boys as well as girl players. As of now, the boys’ team is almost ready,” added the Principal. About 50 students of the college sports ground for getting into the first team of the college. The college has installed goal posts in the ground and provided hockey sticks to the players.

The professor , a hockey writer and a great promoter of the game of the same college Paramjit singh Randhawa who has been trying for years to introduce hockey in various schools and colleges was feeling restless when his own college did not have the hockey team .The steps taken by the college principal DR.Satish Sharma to introduce hockey in college for the first time made his dream come true .The day of the introduction of the hockey in the college was a special day for this hockey lover and he had a sigh of relief

On this great occasion he addressed the students who came forward to pick up the hockey sticks. He said although it is a common saying that hockey runs into the veins of the punjabis but it is a matter of pity this particular cllege of the Majha region did not have the hockey team and he highly praised the efforts of the principal Dr.satish sharma who himself is a great sports lover and sports promoter. He strengthed the the bond between hockey and the punjabis of the D A V College Amritsar.

While addressing the students Prof. Randhawa said that it is not an old story but the story of 1975 when the dignity and popularity of hockey was at its peak on the soil of Punjab. On one hand the players used to play hockey very enthusiastically and with keen interest on the grassy play grounds, on the other hand there was no lack of spectators who were very loving and affectionate towards hockey. It was so popular in villages, towns and cities and especially in the villages atleast one member of every family used to play hockey. It was considered to be the game that compelled the players to undergo severe exercises and be fit and fine. The hockey stick and hockey ball could be seen in a corner of every home. The hockey lovers use to carry them to the play grounds either in the mornings or the evenings. The whole day they were lost in the thoughts and dreams of hockey. A wave of joy was always there in their hearts. The hockey enthusiast Prof. Randhawa remembered the olden days and said that there were a few warriors of hockey who never went to any school and college, who were not familiar with ABC but they were the most intelligent students of the class of hockey in the play ground. Inspite of being illiterate, they earned respect in the name of hockey. Even schools and colleges demonstrated there keen interest in this national sport.

A single P.T. master was efficient enough to create mighty hockey teams. The hockey tournaments were in full swing at various levels in the educational institutions. If we quote the example of our own area then Dhand Kasel, Raja Sansi, Isapur, Gagomahal, Chamiari & Vicchowa etc. were a few villages that gave birth to such powerful hockey teams which became the talk of the whole area. Even the Panchyats and the heads of the Panchyats use to show curiosity and interest in hockey. We did not need to say frequently that hockey is our national game, it is our sports heritage. A deep-rooted love for this game ran like blood into their veins. There was great reverence for the national hockey team in their hearts and they were always eager to update their knowledge regarding the performance of the hockey players. During those days there was a trend to listen to the commentary of the hockey matches on the radio and the hockey commentator Jasdev Singh was famous for his marvellous hockey commentary. Feeling nostalgic about those days the hockey devotee prof. Randhawa said that perhaps those were the days when the sports world of India was not sick and pathological. Those were the days when it was quite hale and hearty. The people of villages, towns and cities used to show a deep interest in the sports like football, volleyball, Kabbadi & Basketball etc. besides hockey. Gradually the time came around 1985 when the craze for cricket started increasing among the people and the hockey was played on the Astroturf grounds. It started going outside the arena of public mind. It is usually said where there is a will there is way but when there is no will left how can we expect of any way. Exactly the similar thing happened to our national game hockey. India, that has been supporting cricket with huge amounts of money, could not same the popularity, prestige and dignity of its national game in the rapidly changing attitude to hockey at the international level. The Indian politicians used to make this excuse that India is not a rich country which can afford and provide maximum Astroturf grounds for hockey. What a pity that hockey could suit countries like Australia, Holland & Germany where it is not national game, but it lost its hold in India. The Indian started loving the alien game cricket. Such is our national character, remarked the hockey freelancer.

But this day we are talking particularly of Punjab. The Punjabis keep a unique identity in the diversity of people. We had won the world cup of hockey in 1975 and junior world cup of hockey in 2000, brought laurels to our nation in Olympics, won many tournaments of hockey in Asian, common wealth and Afro-Asian games just because of our Punjabi hockey players. If we want to rescue the Indian hockey, if we really believe in the statement that Punjabis have unique identity then their is need for the whole Punjab to stand unitedly for the restoration of dignity and glory of hockey. There is a need to revive hockey on the grassy lands. Not only the youth of villages, but the youth of our schools and colleges can divide themselves in various sects and organize mutual hockey tournaments. The present govt. of Punjab under the dynamic leadership of S. Parkash Singh Badal should co-operate the Panchyats of the villages for the growth, promotion and overall development of hockey. The worthy writer said that his hockey loving pen has put the demand for the grassy play grounds and the govt. should not turn a deaf ear to this appeal so that the dignity and prestige of the national game may be restored.

The speaker of the day reminded that the title song of the hockey based movie “Chak De India” has been meant for all the Indians for the growth and promotion of hockey – “Ho Koi to chal zid phadiye” this line awakens the Indians to love and care for their national game. But this day he addressed the home land and mother-land of hockey the Punjab. The punjabis are appealed to dye the whole of Punjab with the colours of hockey. The villages like Pakharpura, Baba Bakala, Mehta and Butala OF AMRITSAR DISTRICT that are considered to be the glory of Majha region, gave birth to many hockey players and hockey lovers. It is on account of the presences and efforts of these old hockey players and hockey lovers that in these villages the old romance for hockey is still alive. Perhaps the love for hockey is still inspiring the people of these villages who are working day and night for the development of hockey without any help and support from the government and the Panchyats. They are adamant to maintain hockey culture.

In the end, Randhawa said if he can expect that educational institutions to seek inspiration from these villages and to work with great zeal and enthusiasm for the promotion of hockey. After the lecture was over Prof. Randhawa could see the spark of hockey. The whole environment was charged with slogans like “Chak de hockey”, Chak de hockey Sir, Randhawa, Chak de”. The students and the staff members were highly emotional and influenced by the lecture of the orator and promised him to work for the promotion of hockey

Principal Dr. Satish Sharma appreciated the efforts of hockey writer Prof. PS Randhawa, Sports Department of D A V College including prof.K L Godara, Prof Yadav and Prof Vikas Bhardwaj.