Despite improper facilities, VHA sr boys win hearts with stupendous performance
By Paritosh Pramanik
THOUGH they once again failed to make the next round, the senior boys hockey team of Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) showed remarkable improvement in their performance in the Hockey India’s Senior National Championship at Lucknow.
Vidarbha’s boys team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals from Pool C with two wins and three losses, finishing third in the five-team pool. But their performance in this year’s tournament was far better than what it used to be. Their improved performance definitely won many a heart in the city. Gone are the days when Vidarbha team was treated as an easy meat in the competition where opponents used to feast upon them scoring goals in heap.
This year at Lucknow, the opponents were surprised with gallant effort shown by the Mujahid Khan-led senior team.
The team played fearlessly and believed in themselves and their abilities. Unlike previous years, most of the team members were accustomed to playing on astro turf. Most of the players were from Dhyanchand Sports Academy, the district and VHA league champions. The team regularly participates in tournaments all over the country. That experience helped them a lot in the nationals.
The goalkeeper skipper Mujahid, too, was an experienced campaigner who is a regular member of Central Railways Headquarters, Mumbai team.
The conditioning camp organised by Vidarbha Hockey Association, too, helped the team in the tournament a lot. The boys concentrated on building their speed, stamina stopping and hitting which helped them in the Lucknow meet. That was the reason Vidarbha thrashed Sports Authority of Gujarat Hockey Academy 3-1 and drubbed Uttarakhand 4-1.
Their narrow defeats to Coorg and Central Industrial Security Force (lost both matches 2-3) too showed their will to fight against teams boasting of players of national repute.
Vidarbha’s performance will get better only if the players get an opportunity to play regularly on astro turfs.
“We need to play more on astro turf. We have players who can perform against any team but they need to play on astro turf regularly,” Dhyanchand Sports Academy coach Lalit Singh had said during the coaching camp.
Similar views were expressed by Vidarbha coach Syyed Imtiyaz Rahim after the team’s second game against Coorg.
“We matched their (Coorg’s) strength. We were dominating in the match but we failed to stop the ball during penalty corners. Stopping and hitting on astro turf is totally different as compared to that on mud or chat field. Lack of astro turf in our region is the reason for our team’s failure,” Rahim said.
Singh had rightly predicted that the team would spring surprise and would never lose by the margins which it used to be in previous nationals. “They will not lose by 15-20 goals that’s for sure. They will give tough fight to their opponents,” Singh had said. And the players did the same, posing challenge to their opponents.
Players like defender Asif Rahim, Sayyad Fahim, midfielder Wasim Khan, forward Sakib Rahim, Khalid Ahmed, Zaim Khan to name a few are all excellent players and have proved their might in the meet where Vidarbha recorded two wins.
Only senior boys team recorded two victories for Vidarbha. Other teams, sub-junior, junior boys and girls as well as senior girls, all failed to register even a single win in Hockey India’s nationals this year.
Junior boys team suffered the biggest defeat when they lost to Services Sports Control Board 1-16 while the junior girls were thrashed by Hockey Andhra 0-15. The senior girls too were given a 0-15 hiding by Andhra in Rohtak, Haryana. The sub-junior boys’ performance too was pathetic as they lost to Coorg 0-13 and to Bengal 0-15.
It was only the senior boys team that saved Vidarbha the blushes with their stupendous performance. This, despite the absence of training on astro turf or top class facilities.
VHA is taking steps for an astro turf at its playfield but the proposal is still at a nascent stage. After doing the bureaucratic rounds, VHA’s file is still caught in the red tape.
Hockey lovers and players are still pinning hopes on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Given his love for sports and his efforts in setting up SAI centre in the city, the players of the national game, too, are hoping for Fadnavis’ kind eye.
By Paritosh Pramanik
THOUGH they once again failed to make the next round, the senior boys hockey team of Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) showed remarkable improvement in their performance in the Hockey India’s Senior National Championship at Lucknow.
Vidarbha’s boys team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals from Pool C with two wins and three losses, finishing third in the five-team pool. But their performance in this year’s tournament was far better than what it used to be. Their improved performance definitely won many a heart in the city. Gone are the days when Vidarbha team was treated as an easy meat in the competition where opponents used to feast upon them scoring goals in heap.
This year at Lucknow, the opponents were surprised with gallant effort shown by the Mujahid Khan-led senior team.
The team played fearlessly and believed in themselves and their abilities. Unlike previous years, most of the team members were accustomed to playing on astro turf. Most of the players were from Dhyanchand Sports Academy, the district and VHA league champions. The team regularly participates in tournaments all over the country. That experience helped them a lot in the nationals.
The goalkeeper skipper Mujahid, too, was an experienced campaigner who is a regular member of Central Railways Headquarters, Mumbai team.
The conditioning camp organised by Vidarbha Hockey Association, too, helped the team in the tournament a lot. The boys concentrated on building their speed, stamina stopping and hitting which helped them in the Lucknow meet. That was the reason Vidarbha thrashed Sports Authority of Gujarat Hockey Academy 3-1 and drubbed Uttarakhand 4-1.
Their narrow defeats to Coorg and Central Industrial Security Force (lost both matches 2-3) too showed their will to fight against teams boasting of players of national repute.
Vidarbha’s performance will get better only if the players get an opportunity to play regularly on astro turfs.
“We need to play more on astro turf. We have players who can perform against any team but they need to play on astro turf regularly,” Dhyanchand Sports Academy coach Lalit Singh had said during the coaching camp.
Similar views were expressed by Vidarbha coach Syyed Imtiyaz Rahim after the team’s second game against Coorg.
“We matched their (Coorg’s) strength. We were dominating in the match but we failed to stop the ball during penalty corners. Stopping and hitting on astro turf is totally different as compared to that on mud or chat field. Lack of astro turf in our region is the reason for our team’s failure,” Rahim said.
Singh had rightly predicted that the team would spring surprise and would never lose by the margins which it used to be in previous nationals. “They will not lose by 15-20 goals that’s for sure. They will give tough fight to their opponents,” Singh had said. And the players did the same, posing challenge to their opponents.
Players like defender Asif Rahim, Sayyad Fahim, midfielder Wasim Khan, forward Sakib Rahim, Khalid Ahmed, Zaim Khan to name a few are all excellent players and have proved their might in the meet where Vidarbha recorded two wins.
Only senior boys team recorded two victories for Vidarbha. Other teams, sub-junior, junior boys and girls as well as senior girls, all failed to register even a single win in Hockey India’s nationals this year.
Junior boys team suffered the biggest defeat when they lost to Services Sports Control Board 1-16 while the junior girls were thrashed by Hockey Andhra 0-15. The senior girls too were given a 0-15 hiding by Andhra in Rohtak, Haryana. The sub-junior boys’ performance too was pathetic as they lost to Coorg 0-13 and to Bengal 0-15.
It was only the senior boys team that saved Vidarbha the blushes with their stupendous performance. This, despite the absence of training on astro turf or top class facilities.
VHA is taking steps for an astro turf at its playfield but the proposal is still at a nascent stage. After doing the bureaucratic rounds, VHA’s file is still caught in the red tape.
Hockey lovers and players are still pinning hopes on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Given his love for sports and his efforts in setting up SAI centre in the city, the players of the national game, too, are hoping for Fadnavis’ kind eye.
