Despite all odds, UP still a big hub of hockey talents in India
There are many “problems” with the hockey set-up in Uttar Pradesh—a hub of talents for the Indians teams in all age categories. In Lucknow, the inmates of the boys’ hockey hostel are bound to play on grassy ground of the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium even though the state government’s UP Sports Directorate has an astro turf hockey stadium in the heart of the state capital since 2016. However, UP’s senior team was “unable” to form a strong side due to non-availability of senior players.
Most of the districts across the state, including Lucknow, hardly conduct regular leagues of all age groups while the state championships are being conducted with the support of the UP Sports Directorate.
But even then, the talent from Uttar Pradesh has been making their mark in the Indian side at the international level. Varanasi’s Lalit Upadhyay was part of the Indian men’s team which won a historic bronze at the Tokyo Olympics after 40 years. Besides, Vandana Katariya was a star performer for India, which finished a creditable fourth also in Tokyo Olympics.
Both men’s and women’s world cups of juniors this year witnessed some fine performances by Uttar Pradesh players, including Sharda Nand Tewari who scored a match-winning goal for India against Belgium and Mumtaz Khan who scored a hat-trick. There were five players from Uttar Pradesh in the men’s team for the Junior World Cup.
The journey doesn’t stop here
as selection of four players, including midfielders Vishnukant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and forwards Uttam Singh and Pawan Rajbhar, in the 20-member Indian team for the forthcoming Men’s Asia Cup (May 23 to June 1) at Jakarta in Indonesia has been the ample proof of UP’s consistency in producing world class talents.
The prestigious event, which is a World Cup qualifier, will see as many as 10 players make their senior India debut and this includes FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup players from UP like Vishnukant Singh and Uttam Singh.
“We have been a consistent as well as a big hub to produce talents for the Indians teams in all age categories and in real terms hockey has been a passion for young sportspersons of Uttar Pradesh,” former India captain and currently a national selector Rajneesh Mishra said on Tuesday.
An energetic defender of his time, Mishra also said since the establishment of the Uttar Pradesh Hockey in 2012 soon after the formation of Hockey India as the national body to run the show in the country, hockey and its players are being developed in Uttar Pradesh in a structured manner.
“We have strong pockets of talents across the state and everyone like UP Hockey, Sports Authority of India as well as hockey centres in Karampur, Varanasi, Athgawan etc have been putting their best effort to raise the standard of the game,” said Mishra, adding, “That’s the reason why Uttar Pradesh have been a consistent performer in all age group events in the domestic circuit.”
Chairman of the Hockey India High Performance and Development Committee, RP Singh, too is excited to see many talented players from Uttar Pradesh making it to the Indian
teams in various international tournaments for the past few years.
“Even in our playing days, hockey talents from Uttar Pradesh had been regular to the Indian team and hockey greats like Major Dhyanchand and Kunwar Digvijay Singh “Babu” are still the role models for our youngsters and the process of supply of talents to the national sides would continue in future,” he said.
“Our infrastructure to the game has been increased manifolds across the state and a good number of hockey turfs are available for the players to train on regular basis,” said Singh, who also happens to be the UP’s director sports, on Tuesday.
“Organising the 2016 Men’s Youth World Cup here in Lucknow was a big boost to the sport and we can hope many more players from the state make it to the national teams in future also.’