Gold Cup hockey under lights

Mumbai: There was a time when crowds used to throng the Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) premises even for local league matches. Sadly, those days have become a rarity now. Now, there’s hardly anyone in the stands even if it’s the final of a major national tournament.

The reasons are manifold, but the main cause behind the die-hard hockey fan’s disappearing act was the infighting in the MHA.

Hopefully, with a new committee consisting mostly of former players taking over the helm of affairs, it should be a thing of the past. While the new body has begun the revival process in the right earnest, with the announcement of several new tournaments, relaying of a new astro-turf, and modern light towers, their biggest worry is how to bring the crowds back to the stadium.

And their hopes rest on the lights. “We must have night matches. The sooner, the better. We have seen the glory days of Mumbai hockey, and it hurts to see the state of affairs now.

For a player, there can’t be a bigger incentive than playing before a packed house,’’ says Joaquim Carvalho, whose single-point agenda right now seems to be wooing the crowds back.

“We plan to hold the Bombay Gold Cup under lights this time. This is the 75th year of the association and it would be great if we can hold this prestigious tournament in the evening. I am sure we will witness packed stands. We also have some other things line up for our platinum jubilee celebrations,’’ the former India coach, part of the MHA managing committee, adds.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has already promised to bear the cost of the lights and the new astroturf. Carvalho, in fact, expects the work to be over by December this year.

“We have already asked Hockey India to allot us dates for the Gold Cup. We have shortlisted two companies, Jubilee Sports Technology and Greenfield Sports Turf Systems, and have forwarded the names to the MCA. In the worst case, we may have to shift the event to January if work is not over by then,’’ informs Carvalho.
It was during the late 70s and early 80s that MHA used to hold night matches. More recently, the semifinals and final of the 2007 Bombay Gold Cup too were played under lights, but teams had complained that it was too inadequate for the needs of good hockey. “The new light towers will be the same ones that will be installed at the Wankhede and will be of international standards. I am sure teams won’t have anything to complain about,’’ says Carvalho.

Mumbai team for
Murugappa, Obaidullah

The Mumbai team will be taking part in the Murugappa Gold Cup, to be held in Chennai from October 1-11, and the Obaidullah Khan Gold Cup, to be played in Bhopal soon after. The selections trials are on and the team will be named on Monday.