No camp for UP women’s hockey team ahead of National Games

The up women’s hockey team will be participating at the National Games without any preparatory camp. The National Games are to be held at Jharkhand from February 12 to 26. During the organisation of the State Games, the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association (UPOA) had claimed that the main purpose of the State Games was to “select state teams for the National Games.” Women’s hockey event was organised during the State Games on January 27 and 28 but instead of announcing any UP team probables after the event, the UPOA has now announced that the trials to select the state hockey team will be held on February 9.

The women’s hockey event held during the State Games was mistimed to a great extent. It so happened that some very talented girls could not take part in the hockey competition as they were representing the state in the Senior Women’s National Hockey Championship organised by Hockey India at Sonepat, Haryana from January 21 to 30. Interestingly, secretary general UPOA Anandeshwar Pandey was made “in-charge” of organising the state team trials by the Hockey India so it was not that the UPOA had no knowledge about the event at Haryana.

When The Indian Express had earlier questioned Pandey about the fate of those girls who participated in the national championships, Pandey had said, “We have an idea of the talent that those girls possess. The performance of the girls participating in the State Games will also be observed and then picking 7 or 8 from the State Games and all the 18 from state team which has left for Haryana, the preparatory camp for the state team probables will be organised after which the UP hockey team will be announced.” On Tuesday Pandey had a different story to tell. “Now we don’t have time for the preparatory camp so the team will be selected directly through the trials. The girls who participated in the national championships could not take part in the State Games. So the trials on Wednesday will give them an opportunity. UP girls employed with the Railways who want to be a part of the team, will also get a chance to showcase their talent.” “Except in those sports for which facility is not available in the state, camps have been organised for all such games in which UP has qualified for the National Games,” Pandey claimed.

UP Hockey joint secretary Avinash Srivastava said, “As the best talent was at Haryana when the women’s hockey event was organised at Lucknow therefore a ‘final’ trial has been organised tomorrow. Actually Hockey India had no idea that the national championships will overlap with the team selection process for the National Games. ”