New Delhi, 16th August 2024: As part of their continued efforts to develop the sport at the grassroots level, Hockey India, over the past month and a half, has conducted 20 Zonal Championships nationwide. The Zonal Championships, for both men and women, provided crucial exposure to the Junior and Sub-Junior category teams in the North, South, East, and West zones of the country.
In addition, the Junior and Sub Junior Academy Championships ensured that men and women players who missed the chance to play for their state associations had an opportunity to showcase their skills to selectors and stand a chance to make it to the National Teams.
Adrian D’Souza lauded Hockey India’s commitment to developing the grassroots saying, “Hats off to the federation for having so many tournaments in one go first off. These Zonal Championships are giving players match experience that will only help them in the future. To make it to the National Teams they need to perform well and understand the structures at an early age so that they don’t feel lost after reaching the National Team.”
Jaspreet Kaur commended the initiative, saying, “The Zonal National Championships and Academy Championships that Hockey India is conducting across the country ensure that Junior and Sub-Junior players get a lot of playing time under their belt. They also get a platform to perform and stand a chance of being selected for the Indian Junior Hockey Teams. By providing these opportunities, Hockey India will help identify players with potential at a young age when they are easier to mold into elite players.”
Yogita Bali joined in, saying, “It is a very good initiative to introduce at the Junior and Sub-Junior levels. These competitions keep the players fresh and aid their development. Different academies winning in different categories shows that they operate at the same level, pushing each other to improve in technical and tactical aspects, ultimately raising the standard of their players. It will be very beneficial if these players are selected to play for the Indian Junior Hockey Teams.”
“The Zonal Championships were held in venues not typically part of the major hockey-playing belts in India. While the Indian Men’s Hockey Team claimed a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, hosting the Championships in venues like Surat, Guwahati, Kadapa, and Kollam has helped drive the craze for hockey in these areas as well.”
Jaspreet Kaur shared her thoughts, saying, “It is a great initiative to spread hockey by hosting in various cities, spreading awareness that hockey is #IndiaKaGame, and it might inspire more people to pick up the sport. We don’t want to keep hockey limited to certain parts of the country; all of India should be eager to pick up the hockey stick.”
Adrian D’Souza joined in, saying, “The ones who need to perform at the highest level are doing so, winning back-to-back medals in the Olympics. Giving these players the opportunity to emulate them on the pitch, while interest is still high, will draw more hockey players from these smaller hockey pockets.”
“Tokyo and Paris results are due to the exposure the Men’s team received at an early age through the Junior World Cup in 2016, and we can see the results now. The next generation of hockey players can adopt this mindset and learn from it. The minimum target for these kids has been raised, and hosting Championships regularly will help them develop at an earlier age and meet those expectations,” Yogita Bali signed off, expressing great hope for the future of hockey in India.
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