Development plans for youth hockey in India still unaddressed
Comparing the two-year, Project 2013, junior hockey squad of Malaysia and the recently started 2013 campaign by South Korea, India is far from preparing a strong and developed junior side for the World Cup tournaments, which is to be hosted on home soil.
With the recent release of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) calendar for 2013, it is revealed that India will be hosting the Junior World Cups for both men and women discipline.
Over these fixtures, both the controversial hockey bodies Hockey India (HI) and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) have disagreements over hosting of junior tournaments.
HI’s key official, Anupam Gulati, was not completely aware of the bidding and nor convinced with this decision at all. All he commented over the situation was that the decision to allow India to host the event had been made in the past.
This hosting has raised a distress for the federations to start working upon the future plans for the junior team of the country. Gulati revealed the truth that these development plans are yet to be addressed as they are under-process. The first step will
be to hold nationals and finalise a squad, which is expected to be held next month in Ranchi.
Apparently, it seems as if there is a lot of time, but considering the developmental plans in other nations, it has become a worrisome issue as India recently failed to select a team for the 3rd women Junior Asia Cup, held from June 4-12 in Bangkok.
Moreover, it also failed to announce a junior men side for the 3rd men Junior Asia Cup, which is to be held from July 23-31 in Hong Kong.
On the other hand, IHF’s Secretary General, Ashok Mathur, commented, "India has become a lucrative market for the FIH. It's irrelevant to conduct a tournament for which we are not prepared. Host nations generally start preparing from the time of the allotment
of the competition. But we are clueless of about the team formation."
Mathur believed that FIH is imposing these fixtures in order to derive financial benefits from this potential market.
The performance chart of India’s junior hockey side has shown a declining trend at the World Cup tournaments with a poor ninth finish in the 2009 World Cup.
Retired Col. Balbir Singh blamed the controversy between the two bodies responsible for this loss. He added that despite the poor performance in 2009 World Cup there were no developmental steps taken for the junior side.
HI’s Pargat Singh commented, "Plans have been given to the government. When it would be implemented, I have no idea."
Therefore, it is hard to say that when these plans will be addressed by the federations.
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