Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Feb 19: In yet another shameful defeat, the Hockey Maharashtra defeated Hockey Andaman and Nicobar by 42-0 in Pool H today. It seems that the saga has not changed a bit even after an FIR against Andaman Hockey in 2013. Can a Sports Association with the ‘aims and objectives’ in its bylaws stating that it is formed with a motive ‘to develop the game of Hockey in Andaman Nicobar Islands’ use the name ‘Andaman Nicobar’ and sent team to National level without conducting Regional, Zonal, District and State level events, is a million dollar question.
32-0 defeat against Tamil Nadu and 42-0 against Maharashtra makes it amply clear that those representing A & N islands in 13th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2023 are not trained Hockey Players but are perhaps those who are in the hunt for a National Certificate for getting a government job under sports quota. This has been happening for many years and authorities are mute spectators to the continuous humiliation it faces in the National arena. On 22nd Andaman Nicobar is going to face Puducherry. It will be better if the administration decides to recall the team before another humiliating defeat is recorded in the annals of history of hockey.
The website of Hockey India indicates that the Office of Hockey Andaman and Nicobar functions from the office of DySP Home Guard in Pahargaon Police Station. Is this a mistake or is this a mockery of the system in Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
Former officials of the Sports sector say that sending a team without selection cannot happen without the knowledge of the State Sports Council.
When Andaman and Nicobar Administration and Department Sports is providing all possible help to the State Sports Council and Sports Associations for promotion of sports there is a need for Sports Association to act more professionally in conducting zonal, district and state level tournaments before selecting players for National Level Games. Also there is a need to provide professional training to all the prayers before such high level games.
“Time has come to take punitive action against those State sports bodies who had not conducted tournaments in 09 zones, 03 Districts followed by 01 State level championship during the last 05 years before participating in any national championships. If someone had failed to do so, the State Sports Council should immediately withdraw its recognition for next one year and report the same to respective National Federation, Indian Olympic Association and Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs for remedial action. Until such time this saga of national humiliation will continue” opined many veteran sports persons.
It will be better if the administration forms a committee of present and past sports administrators and players to look into the violations of National Sports Policy done by these Associations during the last few years. This will ensure that the wrongdoers do not get away unpunished.
Meanwhile, when contacted, a veteran Hockey Player and renowned Hockey Coach said, ‘ Sports is a business now. I have watched the match and found that players do not even know the rules. They did not cross half-line once. The State Sports Council should cancel the recognition of this Association immediately and set up a committee to review the working of this association since last one decade so that this humiliation is not repeated again and again.’
Andaman Sheekha Daily also tried to contact the president and secretary of Hockey Andaman Nicobar over phone but there was no response from the other ends.
