Olympian seeks hockey Astroturf near Dronacharya Stadium in Kurukshetra

Nitish Sharma

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Kurukshetra, July 27

Indian men’s hockey team defender Surender Kumar, who was a member of the Bronze medal-winning squad in the Tokyo Olympics-2021, has again raised the demand for an Astroturf near Dronacharya stadium in Kurukshetra.

It has been a long pending demand of hockey players even as after winning the medal, the hockey star had requested the government to lay a turf in the city.

The Olympian, in a fresh request to the Chief Minister, stated that in 2021, the government had announced that stadiums would be developed at places of choice of the Olympic medallists, but his request for the Astroturf near Dronacharya Stadium was yet to be fulfilled.

“I was also asked by the Sports and Youth Affairs Department about the place of my choice to establish a stadium and I had conveyed that I wanted the Astroturf to be laid near Dronacharya stadium, where vacant land is available. I have not got any response after that. The absence of the facility will discourage the budding players. It gets very tough for the players to switch from grass field to the Astroturf at a later stage. If we get the facility here, more children will take up hockey and it will be beneficial for the sport,” Surender Kumar said.

The Olympian said, “The existing ground is small and without Astroturf. The proposed land is situated at an ideal location. Besides the players from urban areas, those from villages, too, can reach here easily. Several players from Kurukshetra have brought laurels to the state and the country. I am confident that if the players get all facilities they will bring more medals in future.”

The Olympian said he had again raised the matter with the government and met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Minister of State Subhash Sudha. “They have assured me that an Astroturf will be laid soon,” Surender Kumar added.