5-a-side nationals another feather in UP Hockey’s cap
LUCKNOW: The start of the 4th Hockey India five-a-side nationals for men, women and combined team at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur is the latest example of Uttar Pradesh becoming the hub of hockey activities since 2012. The six-day championship is being organised for the first time in the state.
Uttar Pradesh Hockey’s next mission is to conduct an international 5-a-side championship, probably the Asian Championship, in Kanpur in 2020.
The state body is being led by none other than the UP’s director sports, RP Singh, who has been the secretary of the unit as well as a senior official of the game’s national governing body Hockey India.
Indeed, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, which runs the game in the state, has come a long way with conduct of the first junior national men’s championship in 2012 and a four-match Test series between the women’s hockey teams of hosts India and France in February 2018.
The conduct of big events led to development infrastructure in UP, including Padma Shri Mohd Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium in Lucknow, modernisation of the Major Dhayan Chand Stadium in the state capital and construction of exclusive hockey stadiums for 5-a-side events in Agra and Kanpur. Uttar Pradesh Hockey has also been conducting nationals on a regular basis at the Saifai Stadium, which has also been developed with an investment of several thousand crore rupees.
Uttar Pradesh Hockey has conducted nine nationals, including two in 2018 alone, besides conducting the Junior Men’s World Cup in Lucknow and women’s Test matches between India and France in Lucknow and Gorakhpur under the leadership of RP Singh, who is serving his third term as secretary of the hockey body.
“It’s good that somebody from the sports directorate is giving patronage to hockey and that’s why it is flourishing in the state. Certainly, this would help Uttar Pradesh hockey grow in domestic events,” RK Mishra, an expert, said.
“If our director is a good host for the hockey events, why doesn’t he adopt other sports, which are struggling?” asked UP kho-kho official Neeraj.
As for the five-a-side tournament, the government machinery, especially the regional sports office of Kanpur, is involved in the event. SK Lahiri, acting principal of the Saifai Sports College is coach of the UP men’s team. Neelam Siddiqui, coach at the Barabank stadium, is looking after the women’s team. Moreover, Kanpur’s RSO, Ajay Sethi is acting as PRO of the event.
“If something is being done by the UP Hockey, we have to get involved in its activities without any question,” a sports of Kanpur said on condition of anonymity. “We can’t say no and even though my background is athletics, I feel myself a hockey official.”
UTTAR PRADESH HOCKEY’S NEXT MISSION IS TO CONDUCT AN INTERNATIONAL 5-ASIDE CHAMPIONSHIP, PROBABLY THE ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, IN KANPUR IN 2020