Mumbai Hockey Association in a bid to host World Hockey Series: Hockey Update
Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) is making efforts to get the approval for hosting matches of the World Series Hockey (WSH), proposed to be held this year by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) in collaboration with the Nimbus Sport.
The MHA Secretary, Gurbax Singh Grewal, commented over the issue in a press conference that was held yesterday on May 26, "We want to host eight to nine games of the proposed World Series Hockey. We are awaiting the green signal from the Maharashtra government
for getting the grant for laying the new artificial turf."
He further added, "We expect the grant to be okayed soon and once we receive it, we can lay the new turf in two months. The foundation is already there. We have to change the water pipes for the sprinklers as they are 20 years old."
The Olympian tried to cover the risk associated with the series, organised by IHF, for the players that will try to be a part of it. The IHF not being recognised by the international body, FIH, may face the threat of non-involvement of players due to the
warning issued by the FIH.
As stated by Grewal, no one can restrain players to play hockey and the series will be held for sure.
On the other hand, the rival body Hockey India (HI) along with FIH has set up its own international league for the year.
According to what the IHF proposed in last December, the series will be held for a period of two and a half months, starting from November to December, 2011 and then in February, 2012.
Since then, there were no further developmental talks or announcements regarding the WSH.
Meanwhile, MHA is currently hosting their first Under-17 National Hockey tournament for boys that began on May 26 at the Mahindra Stadium, Mumbai.
On May 25, Grewal told media that the thirty-two teams that are in affiliation with the IHF will participate in the event and will conclude by June 8.
According to the MHA Secretary, there were nationals for Under-18 and Under-19, but this is the first ever to be played among the Under-17 age group.
The former Olympian also admitted that the IHF will send a selection committee to the venue that will pick out 125 players to be prepared for the four respective zones of the country.
This selection committee comprises of five selectors namely Ajit Lakra, Joaquim Carvalho, R Mishra, Shanmughan and Merwyn Fernandes.
The 32 teams involved in the tournament are playing matches according to the eight pools designed, each comprising of four teams.
The pool rounds shall end on June 4 and the top teams will qualify into the quarter-finals, to be held on June 6.
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