University hockey in a new avtar, as Nehru Society steps into infuse a breath of fresh air.

Recently, All India Universities team, called ‘Combined Universities’ in the Indian sporting parlance, upset top notch teams like Railways and Punjab , and went on to play the finals of a leading tournament.

It was not hockey. It’s Federation Cup volleyball.

When was the last time did any Combined Universities team come to our notice with such performance in India?

It’s difficult to reply because there is none; its thing of past, a white elephant.

Away from public, off from media, colleges and universities competitions, at least in hockey, remain a cesspool of inter-regional politics. Suffice to the hosts always emerged winners!

All the ills that plagues grassroot sports in India like outsiders, age fudging etc is most prevalent here too.

Association of Indian Universities (AIU) handles what once the premier feeder of Indian hockey, the Inter-universities competition: four intra-zones and then an main inter-zone with top four teams from each intra-zone.

Insiders know AIU’s functions are ritual, its top officials handling the sports are warped in times, loud mouthed, are mere globe trotters on account of having a vote in every national sporting body elections!

Not long back, the teams have to pay for the umpiring charges even!

One can therefore easily understand why university sports in India is where it is.

At the same time, without Universities contributing to its role in creating, caring and promoting sports and sportspersons, Indian sports cannot improve.

In the early 70s, each Indian national team will have at least 2, 3 members from CU teams. Harcharan Bhopari, Zafar Iqbal, V. Baskaran and others, for instant, made their international debut from the Universities.

At least nine players from the Combined universities team that toured Perth (Austrtalia) in 1969 made it to the national side soon!

But that was some three decades ago.

Against this backdrop, some silver lining.

AIU for once gave up internal bidding of its main event, Inter-University championship.

For the first time, a neutral agency, Delhi based Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society, will host it.

So far, the Society was hosting Champions Colleges Cup, not the actual Inter-University finals.

The first edition of which starts today at Shivaji stadium, which recently saw full crowd since innovation, during the Hockey India League matches.

Being organized by a known, trustful Society, it is expected the teams are scrutinized for purity and honesty; the matches handled by international umpires.

Its good wisdom to have such an arrangement. It has not come a day early. The teams will have best of level playing field now.

A committee consisting of yesteryear Combined Universities stalwarts, Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal, Kukoo Walia and youngster Rajdeep Singh will run the show under the umbrella of Nehru Society, with the patronage of AIU of course.

Nehru Society is going to foot the bulk of bill, which is worth its value.

Nehru Society by the way is not just a tournament society as the name suggest, its vision and mission spread beyond it. Summer camps, fund collection in aid of needy players, umpiring clinics, felicitation of achievers alike are other hockey related functions it routinely undertakes.

Started in 1964, the Society is hosting All India tournaments for boys and girls, for all age and gender groups.

Known for its methodical conduct of events, and its pan Indian appeal, the Society is byword for Indian hockey and it is in the fitness of things that it offers a new vista for beleaguered Indian universities’ hockey.

The tournament starts today.