By K. ARUMUGAM

Age group State teams are gearing up for the forthcoming Hockey India National Championships, many of which could not be held last year due pandemic conditions. Sub-Jr Nationals, starting this week and next week are the first major domestic activity in India after the calamitous COVID-19.

The commencement of Nationals on the domestic scene has opened up a flurry of activities. Most States have also selected their teams as Hockey India’s deadline for submission of the teams has closed last week.

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi, accordingly, was seen abuzz with activity, first trials for girls followed by boys and then the selected teams undergoing vigorous practice sessions.

Starting of age group national has activated the domestic hockey activities

The boys teams was seen being trained by well known Rajdeep Singh(All India University’s hockey team coach) with SAI Coach Sriprakash, up and coming Rahul Raj and Sunil Kumar in attendance.

“These youngsters with me are given daily practice on turf. Its a welcome first step. We see these boys fall in groom insofar as grasping the instructions and implementing them in match situations are concerned. I have seen them improving leap and bounds from shaky boys in day one to now, as they start attacking and scoring against seniors” said Rajdeep.

Today the boys played a game against the Seniors, and were seen getting half a dozen penalty corners,  half of them in the dying moments of the last quarters.

Rajdeep hastened to add: The remaining fortnight is crucial, and we will leave no stone unturned to polish them because our focus is Junior Nationals and for that this feeder should be perfect in all respects”.

“Its nice of Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, who on our one visit, opened the stadium for us. This has set the pace.  Our obstacle in proper development of hockey in Delhi was availability of turf. We have got it now. The boys and girls are all set to perform”, says Mahesh Dayal, Secretary of Delhi Hockey.

He added: “Olympians Vineet Kumar and Arvind Chhabra (both are of Indian Airlines fame) and enthusiast Nikki Kantawala have put in a lot of effort to pindown the best 18 boys and girls, as selectors and promotors”.

Delhi Hockey fraternity gather to set the ball moving for the domestic season  

What’s going on in Delhi is almost what is happening in other States too. The revival also has another significance other than kick-starting hockey for the new season.

Recently, Hockey India has restructured its domestic flag ship program, the annual National Championships.  As per the restructured National Championships, only States are allowed to take part in the Hockey India National Championships proper.

However, separate Nationals will be held for Academies and Institutions.

The 11th Hockey India events for boys and girls (u-18) are the first to be held under the new structure.

Hockey Haryana will host the 11th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2021  from 17 to 25 March in Uchana, Jind district at the Rajiv Gandhi Mahavidyalaya, Uchana college grounds.

The 25-team Uchna event will see pool matches for five days before the quarterfinals (March 22), semi-finals (24th) and the will be on 25th March. The defending champions Hockey Odisha are in Pool A.

Sunil Malik, the Organizing Secretary for the Uchna is stated that all athletes and officials need to have the Aaroya Setu app on their devices.

Hockey Haryana have also appointed Dr Pradeep Nain and Dr Amit Kumar as Hygiene Officers who will be present at the venue to monitor the participants’ well-being.