Hockey Jammu and Kashmir has started revival of the ‘dead clubs’ on a mission mode with the sole intention to strength the organisational structure and raise the level of the game in the Union Territory.
The initiative has already been taken by approaching the prominent hockey clubs of the past with the motive to bring the old club culture back on track in one of the prominent team sport of Hockey in J&K.
“Since world class infrastructure has already been made available at the district level, the Association need to strengthen and improve the number of those practicing the game. Clubs play a key role in motivating and encouraging the young talent to the game. So it has been decided to revive those old clubs,” said general secretary of Hockey J&K, Dr Taran Singh taking exclusively to SPORTSLINE.
Revival of old Clubs
A number of prominent clubs have been approached in the recent past with the request to revive their organisational structure and activities base. Among such Clubs are Khalsa, MBS, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Shahaeed Bhagat Singh.
“Besides the defunct and dead clubs, efforts are on to reach out to those individual players and officials, who have been banned during the last over a decade of turmoil in J&K Hockey. We want every stakeholder to come forward and contribute whatever way they can to uplift hockey,” disclosed Dr Singh.
Improved Infrastructure
In the last one decade or so, J&K has witnessed a lot of infrastructural growth in Hockey with six exclusive Astroturf Stadiums at Jammu, Poonch, Pulwama, Srinagar and three other proposed at Baramulla, Hiranagar in district Kathua and Bandhu Rakh in district Jammu.
“We have seen a lot of infrastructural growth on modern lines in the last one decade or so. Besides infrastructure,the Government has also helped in terms of trainers with highest eight Khelo India Centres, highest across various sports disciplines in J&K,” said Dr Taran, who is also an Indian System of Medicine practitioner.
Hockey in Schools
Taking keen interest in the growth of Hockey, members of Hockey J&K have evolved the idea of involving schools with the sole aim to catch and train them young. “Hockey J&K has formulated a comprehensive plan to involve schools in building the talent pool with focus on lower age group event. To begin with, in the first phase, 10 schools shall be involved in this futuristic programme in district Jammu,” disclosed Hockey J&K general secretary.
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