Is Odisha backing global hockey at the cost of its grassroots academies?

India’s eastern state of Odisha has established itself as the country’s brand ambassador for hockey. Since the 2014 Champions Trophy, the state government has pumped in millions to host international events on a regular basis, including the upcoming World Cup in 2023.

While Odisha has made monumental efforts to promote the game at the international level, its grassroots program has taken a backseat.

Since March, budding players enrolled at various hockey academies in the state have had no opportunity to practice after the government closed down training centers due to the pandemic.

“There are approximately 300 budding hockey players in different academies in the state. The government should have made some provision so that they could practice during pandemic. Since the majority of the players come from humble backgrounds, chances are they might be doing odd jobs to survive and not doing any fitness work at home,” a coach said.

Despite allocating Rs 100 crore in 2018 to sponsor the national men's and women’s hockey teams for five years, the Odisha sports department has overlooked shabby training conditions at the local level.

Hockey pitch in Rourkela

Pictures taken last weekend of AstroTurf facilities at Sundargarh and Rourkela, the two major hockey training centers in the state, reveal that Odisha’s sports think tank has ignored grassroots development.

Barring an academy in the state capital, Bhubaneswar, training facilities at other hockey centers are in a state of neglect.

“Budding players at hockey academies in Sundargarh and Rourkela train in shabby conditions. The turf has worn out. It is dangerous to play hockey on slippery worn-out surfaces. The government is yet to replace it with a new synthetic surface,” a hockey coach from Sundargarh said.

Rourkela

Last week, Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra, members of India’s Olympic bronze-medal winning men’s team, were felicitated by the state government. The duo received a cash incentive of Rs 2.5 crore each and government jobs.

Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo, members of the women’s team that finished fourth, were each presented Rs 50 lakh.

While it's heartening to see elite hockey players get their due, there has been negligible investment at the grassroots level in the last two to three years, another coach said.

“We haven’t seen any progress at the ground level in the past two or three years. If the government continues to ignore the development group, it looks doubtful that Odisha would make representations in hockey at the Paris 2024 Olympics.”

Sundargarh

The hockey academy in Rourkela has 150 players, including 75 girls, in the age group of under-12 to under-18.

“There is no proper turf to play on. The slippery, dirty surface can cause serious injuries to players,” a hockey official said.

Sundargarh has two hockey academies. While one is run by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the other is managed by the state government.

Players from both training centers share a common turf. The hockey pitch at the SAI training center was replaced in 2007 but is in shabby condition these days, a player from Sundargarh said.

Sundargarh

An official said the proposal to change the turf was sent to SAI headquarters in New Delhi three years ago, but there hasn't been any response yet.

“A proposal to replace the hockey turf in Sundargarh was sent to SAI headquarters in 2019. We haven’t got any communication about when the old turf will be replaced with a new one,” the SAI official said on condition of anonymity, as he is not allowed to speak to the media.

Sundargarh

Sandip Pradhan, director general of SAI, wasn’t available for comment.

A couple of years ago, Hockey India (HI) banned competitions at New Delhi’s iconic Shivaji Stadium after the turf there turned dirty and slippery.

“Odisha’s hockey experts involved in shaping the careers of young players are ignorant of the fact that playing on worn-out surfaces is not good for the health of the budding players,” said another coach from the state.

Sundargarh’s SAI hostel has 30 girls in the age group of 14 and above, while the state government's academy for boys has players in the age group of 12 and above.

“SAI academy in Sundargarh has one turf. When the SAI girls' team finishes their training, the boys are allowed to practice,” a state government official said.

Rourkela

The Rourkela hockey training center has 150 players, including 75 girls. There are two turfs, neither in good condition.

“The turf is more than 14 years old. It should be replaced. It is not good to play as the surface has been damaged,” a coach said.

Rourkela

In the 2019 and 2020 editions of the national junior hockey championships, Hockey Odisha men’s team won the title. However, the majority of the young players haven’t received any employment and are doing odd jobs for survival.

“Only four players from the 2019-2020 group have got jobs. Two players got jobs in the Customs department and two got jobs in the Railway. Others are still hunting for jobs,” said a junior national player.

The state government also has a hockey academy in Bhubaneswar where players aged 18 and above are enrolled. Though there are currently 60 players, including 30 girls, all training centers have been closed since March due to the pandemic, a coach said.

“The training centers spread across the states have been closed since March due to Covid-19,” said one of the players of the academy.

Dilip Tirkey, former India skipper and chairman of the Odisha Hockey Promotion Council, said he is aware that the turf at Sundargarh Hockey Academy needs to be replaced. However, Dilip couldn't provide a timeline for when the project will be completed.

“The turf at the Sundargarh academy is in bad condition. It's not good to practice on. I hope it will be changed soon. Officials concerned have been apprised of the situation,” Tirkey said.

Sundargarh

Tirkey, who oversees grassroots development in the state, hasn't been able to get things moving even in his own backyard. He had planned to set up hockey facilities in his village of Saunamara in Sundargarh district.

“The leveling of the field was done but the process of laying the turf is yet to start. I’m hopeful it will start in coming months.”

The proposal to improve the hockey ecosystem in the state by building 17 new hockey pitches in the Sundargarh region is also pending. Tirkey is hopeful the project will start shortly.

“I hope things will start moving soon,” he added.