New Delhi: With India set to mark the return of men’s international hockey to Delhi after a decade’s absence, the goalscorer at the 1975 World Cup final, Ashok Kumar Dhyanchand has hailed the significance of the Capital in Indian Hockey history. The two-match series is set to be played on October 23 and 24 at the iconic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The last match at the venue was played in January 2014 during the Hockey World League Final – Men’s Round 4.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, son of Major Dhyanchand who is often hailed as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, Ashok Kumar spoke on the significance of India’s national sport returning to the Capital.
“When I first came to play in 1970 it was at the Major Dhyanchand Stadium (then National Stadium). I feel connected to the stadium on so many levels and Delhi is a place that provides opportunities with the bilateral series starting, I hope the fans that used to come in huge numbers once again fill the stadium in Delhi for the matches against Germany,” Ashok Kumar Dhyanchand told IANS.
Notably, this two-match series is not only a highlight for Delhi but also part of Hockey India’s vision to promote the game across the country. In recent years, Hockey India has expanded its efforts beyond Odisha, which has become a hub for hockey, to bring the sport to other cities.
The Hockey India League (HIL) is also set to make a historic comeback after a 7-year hiatus as the men’s and women’s franchises for the 2024-25 edition unveiled on Friday. The HIL 2024-25 will feature eight men’s teams and six women’s teams, marking the first time a standalone women’s league will run concurrently with the men’s competition.
The captain of the 1975 World Cup-winning side Aji Pal Singh also showed his support to the HIL and credited the earlier editions of the tournament to the resurgence of Indian Hockey.
“In my opinion, the initial 5-6 seasons of HIL made a lot of difference to the Indian team. It provides young kids a platform to perform at. There was a time when we had fallen to 12th place in the rankings but now we have won back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympic Games which shows signs of improvement. We beat Australia after 52 years which highlights that our players are now able to play on turf as well,” Ajit Pal Singh told IANS.
The HIL 2024-25 will see matches played across two venues; Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.
–IANS