With India winning the Junior World Hockey Cup, the focus is on Telangana hockey players as none of them were on the national side. According to Amarendar Reddy, president, Telangana Hockey Association, it is only after the bifurcation of the state that players from Telangana are getting an opportunity to play. “We had formed this body only last year to build confidence in our players and to provide a platform for the deserved. Earlier, none of our players were given a chance, but now things are looking brighter,” says Reddy.
In the last one year, the association has successfully organised 6 state level tournaments and 30 summer camps in rural parts of Telangana to bring out hidden talent. One such talent, Venkatesh, the captain of the Mahbubnagar district team started to play hockey when he was in class 9 and now the 17-year-old is a pillar of strength to the Under-19 boys team.
Ranjith, his team mate and Hyderabad captain, says, “There are many opportunities coming up now and I’m trying to make full use of it. My father and uncle were both hockey players and my goal is to make them and the state proud.”
According to Reddy, it’s necessary to provide equal opportunities across the state to bring in more talent. “Hyderabad players perform better than their counterparts as they get the opportunity to practice on turf grounds at Gachibowli stadium. There are no other turf grounds in the state and the quality of the city coaches is also better. The government should think of creating hockey academies with experienced coaches in every district, so we can find more talent and make the state proud,” shares Reddy.
Parmesh, captain of the Adilabad district team and the goalkeeper of the state team, says, “Practicing in Hyderabad makes a lot of difference and sharpens one’s skills, at par with other state teams.” When asked about why he chose to be a goalkeeper and not a striker, he says, “A goalkeeper is very important as he/she can make or break a match by saving goals.”
With lots of talent pouring in, it is only a matter of time before Telangana players are seen on the national team. “Our aim is to send at least one player from the state to the national side to represent India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” says Reddy, before rushing off to guide his players.
