Hockey AstroTurf at Sonepat faces neglect

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, November 27

The AstroTurf hockey ground at Sector 4 in Sonepat, which gave Olympics, Asian Games medalists and groomed several other national and international players, is in a deplorable condition.

Have Sought requisite details

I have sought complete details about the AstroTurf hockey ground from the officials. The department is regularly working for the welfare of the sportspersons. The ground will be properly maintained so that the players can practise there. — Yashender Singh, Sports Department Director

Broken grills, goal posts, uprooted sheds, defunct water motor, uprooted AstroTurf at various places, defunct sprinklers and growing weeds on boundaries has become the identity of the Sonepat’s AstroTurf ground from where national and international hockey players have brought medals for the country and more than 300 players (over 150 girls and 150 boys) are practising to bring laurels to the country.

As evening approaches, the ground sinks in darkness as there is no light on the ground. Even the players have to stop their practises in the evening.

The ground was constructed in 2015 by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and then HUDA by spending crores of rupees in Sector 4, but was not maintained properly. The ground was handed over to the Sports Department nearly 15 months ago.

The women Indian Hockey team, which brought bronze medals in the recent Olympics has three players, Nisha Warsi, Neha Goyal and Sharmila who are from Sonepat and the Indian Men’s hockey team that brought gold medal in the Olympics has two players, Sumit and Abhishek Nain from the city.

They all practice here when they are at home. Jitender Singh, alias Billu, a senior hockey player, said the deplorable condition of the ground was only due to the negligence of the Sports Department.

This was the only ground in the city where over 300 players were practising, but due to the negligent attitude of the department the ground was in a poor state.

There were no boundary walls on the ground and the grills and goal posts were lying broken, he said.

The ground was handed over to the Sports Department and two coaches were appointed by the department, but they were rarely seen on the ground, he alleged.

Arvind Kumar, general secretary, Pritam Siwach Sports Promotion Foundation, said this was the only AstroTurf ground in the city and the players from sub-junior, junior and senior Indian teams were bringing laurels to the country.