Shortage of coaches, poor upkeep of playfields major handicaps

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

For success of any revival plan, all essential inputs in adequate proportion have to be ensured. However, in case of Punjab’s hockey revival plan, one important component — coaches — has been far short of the demand. Against a requirement of a minimum of 50 coaches, the State has only 25.

Though some Olympians, former international and national players have been roped in, still many centers are without qualified coaches. If some more Olympians and former internationals come forward to train boys and girls in their areas, problem of shortage of coaches can be solved. These volunteers can be paid honorarium under the PYKA scheme of the Union Government.

Infrastructure needs more attention. Centers without synthetic surfaces have bald or grassy fields that are bumpy and uneven. To meet other needs, it is time for the sports promoters and NGOs to come forward and lend a helping hand. For example, Ropar Hawks has been one of the pioneer organisations in the State. Besides running a hockey nursery, this Club was the first in the State to have its own clubhouse, hockey stadium, junior and senior teams besides holding a grade-I tournament. A team of dedicated volunteers led by Swinder Singh Saini has given national team several star players. Faridkot Raiders and Ripudaman Club in Nabha are other such organsiations in Punjab while Rock Rovers has done the same in Chandigarh.

Amritsar has been experiencing shortage of hockey coaches. For four hockey centers, including one for girls, it has a solo woman coach. Otherwise, the city has two residential wings at Khalsa College Senior Secondary School and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy. Two Academy players have played for the country in the last Junior Asia Cup. The only hockey wing for girls is at St Marry High School that has Jasmit Kaur of the Sports Department as its coach.

Other wings for day scholars are at Government Senior Secondary School in Attari, SGGS Khalsa Hockey Academy, Mehta, Udhonangal, and Butala and at Baba Bakala that also has a center for girls. Former International Balbir Singh Randhawa is the management coach.

For young Sarbjit Singh playing on Astroturf in border area of Mehta is a thrilling experience. In Tarn Taran, Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Kairon, has hockey wings in under-14, 17 and 19 age groups.

To meet the demand for coaches, the Sports Department roped in Accenture Management Company that recruited 177 coaches from amongst diploma holders in coaching from the NIS or had been former players. They are paid between Rs 7,000 and Rs 14,000. Former national coach Sukhvir Singh Grewal and captain of 2002 Indian hockey team Ramandeep Singh have been associated with the revival of hockey project as honorary Directors of Training.

A couple of Indo-Pak wars and floods caused by Sutlej may have deprived Ferozepore of many facilities even after 63 years of independence, yet hockey has been bringing it a good name by producing international level players. Braving lack of government support and blatant ignorance by various federations, the town has been keeping its tradition of producing players of par excellence intact.

The town boasts of producing players like hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, Ajit Singh, Balbir Singh, Charles Stephen, Rajinder Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh and has been training number of urban and rural youths to propel them into the orbit where they could be selected for national and international level competitions.

Har Narain Singh Laddi, who has retired as hockey coach from the local sports department, said though Punjab government had not appointed any hockey coach so far, his son Manmeet Singh, a constable in Punjab police, had been engaged by local Sher Shahwali hockey academy to train the children.

“Punjab government has set up ‘six-a-side’ Astroturf at the local stadium where school children, mostly belonging to poor families, practice every day. About 60 trainees are given refreshment by the Sher Shahwali Hockey Academy every day,” he said. Balkar Singh Boparai, district sports officer, has repeatedly written to the government for a hockey coach.

Ajit Singh, former Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, wants a full Astroturf in Ferozepore. Satisfied at the progress of the game in this border town, he said Ravinder Pal Singh, a trainee here, has been selected to represent India in the coming Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament. “The academy has been doing its best to hunt talent and to train them,” says Surjeet Singh, secretary of the Sher Shahwali Hockey Academy. — To be concluded

With inputs from Neeraj Bagga and Chander Parkash.