Last Updated: February 24, 2023, 13:46 IST
Former captain and present Hockey India chief Dilip Tirkey has reiterated the significance of the nationwide championships in getting ready younger athletes by saying “grassroots growth is important for any sport to flourish.”
In an episode of Hockey Te Charcha, a veteran of over 400 matches and the first hockey player in the history of the sport to be elected as President of the governing body, Tirkey discussed the roadmap ahead in order to build and nourish a well-structured grassroots system by providing various competitive platforms for young players to hone and develop their skill sets.
“For any sport to thrive, grassroots development is vital. A strong foundation results in good players and a strong Senior and Junior national teams. In the past, athletes in the Sub Juniors (U-17) and Juniors (U-19) categories haven’t had enough game time. We are going to rectify that by introducing a zonal system, where they will play Intra Zone and Inter Zone competitions,” Tirkey mentioned.
“Pragmatically, not everyone will play for India, however this setup will at the least enable gamers to take pleasure in representing their respective zones and provides them a really feel of a aggressive ambiance at an early age,” he added.
Hockey India President also mentioned that the new system is not only beneficial for the athletes but will also help the selection committees and the administration immensely.
“We are trying to build a pipeline of talent. From each Zone we could potentially have a pool of around 50 players. At any given time, we should be aware of what level our Sub Junior or Junior athletes are at and therefore we can accordingly give them the resources they need,” he mentioned.
In order to extend the expertise pool and nourish them, Hockey India is introducing particular coaching programmes, which incorporates involving former worldwide gamers, for athletes and coaches to familiarise them with the required coaching and dietary necessities to carry out higher.
“The recreation of Hockey is quickly evolving, based mostly on the extent of competitors we see on the Zonals or the Nationals, we are able to accordingly present coaching modules, reminiscent of a drag-flicking program or perhaps a goalkeeping program involving former worldwide gamers who can lead these clinics.
Focusing on the person growth is essential and that’s additionally why we’re emphasizing on residential services for youthful athletes slightly than a easy academy-based mannequin. This will allow them to familiarise themselves with the required coaching and dietary necessities with the intention to carry out optimally,” he said.
The Hockey India chief spoke about establishing a U-17 National team and a U-19 National team to complement the current U-21 setup. Furthermore, at the upcoming National Championship, which is to be held in Odisha, in April, players can expect to operate under a world-class setup, with matches played under floodlights.
“Once we give our junior athletes the responsibility and experience, by simulating high-level competition from a young age, they will find it easier to cope with the challenges that accompany playing for India at an international level. By adding the U17 and U19 National teams, we can also give our athletes benchmarks that they can aspire to and work towards,” Tirkey mentioned.
The 45-year previous additionally reemphasized the significance of grassroots and mentioned that reviving curiosity in home competitors is a vital a part of rising the game.
“We have stored this in thoughts, and have launched the dwell streaming of matches this yr onwards. We have additionally ensured the National Championships have the identical customary as any worldwide match that’s hosted by us. This will improve the expertise of gamers participating within the match,” Tirkey said.
“This is all a collective effort by Hockey India staff and moving forward we also want to introduce the video referral system so that players get used to this at a young age itself,” he concluded.
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