On Indian hockey’s proudest day, VHA continues to remain in a shambles

 

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

IT’S painful, very painful.
When Indian hockey teams rewrote history by booking semi-final spots at Tokyo Olympics, here in Nagpur the game continues to tread towards a slow death. The Vidarbha Hockey Assocaition (VHA) is in pathetic condition both on and off the field.
Since the seven-decade old association got disaffiliated by Hockey India citing One State One Unit rule, the game has received a big jolt in Vidarbha. If that was not enough, the infighting amongst the executive committee forced the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court to appoint an administrator to look into the matter “until the matter is solved.”
To made matter worse, the caretakers of the game (life members and other so-called closely associated with the game) are paying least attention towards upkeep of the field. A look a the hockey ground, off Amravati Road, reveals the sorry state of affairs.
The ground, which once used to be lush green, well-trimmed with Bermuda grass, is now full of knee-height weeds. There is hardly any space to play hockey, leave aside warming up or stretching exercises. The court-appointed Administrator has a very easy excuse of COVID-19 pandemic and lack of funds, but it is disheartening to see the members, most of whom are in their 70s, turning a blind eye towards the sport which has given them name and fame.
Recently a beautiful mural of hockey legend Major Dhyanchand has been constructed beside the entrance gate by the NMC funds. But that looks only cosmetic development.
Olympian Ashok Kumar, son of Dhyanchand will, in all probability, inaugurate the mural. But what will shock him will be the condition of ground.
A glance at the ground shows the real picture. The goalposts are enveloped with thick, tall grass and are broken. There is hardly any space to walk, leave aside dribble the ball.
The newly-constructed hall is yet to be inaugurated and is being covered in dust.
The ground can be developed into one of the best stadiums in the country, given its central location but for that it will be imperative for the ‘fathers of the game’ to sit together and think in a constructive way.
However, an opportunist faction, which is associated with VHA but has no powers after court’s order, immediately jumped on the opportunity and revived their Nagpur District Hockey Association and applied for district affiliation with Hockey Maharashtra leaving VHA to die its own death.
The infighting among the members has ruined careers of hundreds of players in last few decades and if such bickering continues, the day is not far when the ground would be swallowed up by those with vested intention and Nagpur would be unable to produce even a state level player.