Hockey hub Odisha out of national championship for non-compliance
NEW DELHI : When Hockey India asked affiliates to provide player information online to be allowed entry into major domestic tournaments, it saw a way to goad state units to get organised. However, it has discovered the task is beyond many affiliates.
Odisha, whose capital is effectively the world hockey hub and the government pumps in hundreds of crores for sports promotion, will be a prominent absentee from the upcoming senior national (A division) championships in men and women. Hockey Odisha officials did not register details of players like date of birth and medical certificate (to track fitness) before the deadline (Dec 31 for men, Jan 8 for women) in the federation’s member unit (MU) portal.
The HI directive went out in September. Odisha in particular will feel left out as the state has produced many India stalwarts. The government spent R82 crore for the 2018 men’s World Cup held in Bhubaneswar. It will again host the 2023 World Cup. The government has announced R630 crore to renovate infrastructure and develop Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, tournament venues, into smart cities.
Ten state units have been barred from the national championships for not submitting the online entry form. Non-compliant units have been relegated from permanent members to associate bodies. Despite many attempts, Odisha secretarysports, Vishal Dev, could not be reached for his views.
Hockey Odisha secretary, Pratap Satapathy, acknowledged it was a setback for the game’s development in the state. Nationals have become an important route for players to gain the attention of selectors since the Hockey India League was stopped in 2017.
MANY REMINDERS
HI president, Mohd Mustaque Ahmad, said state units were sent several reminders to submit the new entry forms. “We had dedicated staff in the office to help out state units,” he said.
“It’s mandatory to send entry through the MU portal only. This is being done to streamline the system and all the registered players will get ID number too.”
Odisha men’s team is clubbed in A division. The tournament runs from January 23 to February 2 in Jhansi. In the last national held in Gwalior, Odisha lost to Karnataka 2-3 and failed to reach the quarterfinals.
The women’s team is also in A division, matches for which start on January 30 in Kollam, Kerala. In the 2019 nationals, Odisha women lost to Karnataka 0-3 in the opening match and didn’t progress to the knockouts. Hockey Bhopal and Hockey Gangpur-Odisha are also out of women’s A division national championship for not sending entries.
Hockey Jammu and Kashmir, Assam Hockey, Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Hockey Coorg, Hockey Mizoram, Hockey Madhya Bharat and Tripura Hockey are those barred from women’s B division. This tournament starts in Kollam on January 23.
On January 15, HI in a communication to the 10 state units informed them of their suspension for not complying with instructions. The letter said units relegated to associate membership will be reverted to permanent status once they comply with the directive and submit details on the MU portal for the remaining tournaments.
HI also plans to disaffiliate associate members if they fail to complete requirements without further delay. The junior group matches start from April. A similar entry pattern will be followed and states failing to comply with the criteria will not be allowed to play in the nationals.
Satapathy said a majority of players come from tribal areas and weren’t able to give details like age proof and education certificate, which was the main reason Odisha Hockey could not send the online entry for nationals before deadline. “We never had any basic training to fill entry forms online,” he said.
Ahmad, however, wasn’t convinced. “Four months is enough time to send the entries,” he said.
Satapathy said the suspension was unfortunate and Odisha players have lost a chance to showcase their mettle.
“Those not participating in the nationals this time will have to wait for the next competition,” he said.
Rupak Debroy, secretary of Tripura Hockey, said he wasn’t aware the state women’s team will not be able to play in the nationals.
“Sending the team is the prerogative of the selection committee, not the secretary.” Debashish Gouda, secretary of Hockey Gangpur-Odisha, admitted his office couldn’t fill the forms but argued that HI should have given state units training to fill the forms.
Hockey Bhopal secretary, Olympian Syed Jalaluddin, admits HI had given four months to send the entries but argues it wasn’t enough as the players come from humble background. “In such a scenario, it takes time to get the necessary paper work done. There should be a gradual change to the new system,” he said over phone from Bhopal.
The 1984 Olympian said it’s a challenging task to run hockey at state level as there are no funds to run an office set-up. “It’s difficult to manage the office work,” he added.
On Bhopal being kept out of the nationals, he said: “It’s a big loss to hockey. The players will suffer. This is not the best way to run hockey.”