Hockey India decides to provide financial assistance to member units for grassroots development

Ranchi: Hockey India on Friday decided to grant financial assistance to its member units for winning medals and participating in national championships to encourage hockey at the grassroots level.

In a groundbreaking move to strengthen their State Member Units, Hockey India has decided to award Rs 10.00 lakh to each Member Unit that won medals at the Hockey India National Championships held throughout the year 2023.

The decision to give financial assistance was taken by Hockey India at its 13th Congress in Ranchi on Friday at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh AstroTurf Hockey Stadium meeting hall. The Congress saw the announcement of several important decisions and initiatives to boost the sport in the country.

The State Member Units that will currently benefit from this initiative in 2023 are Hockey Haryana, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Hockey and Hockey Chandigarh, informed Hockey India in a statement on Friday.

During the Congress, Hockey India has also resolved to award financial support to its Member Units for their participation in the Hockey India National Championships.

Under this initiative, each Permanent State Member Unit that participates in at least four of the six National Championships will receive a support of Rs 1.50 lakh.

Units that participate in all six National Championships will receive a substantial grant of Rs 9.00 lakhs. Similarly, Associate State Member Units will be awarded 50% of Rs 1.50 lakh for their participation in each Hockey India National Championship, provided they play in at least four annual National Championships.

The Congress representatives also received a thorough update from the Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr Dilip Tirkey, who is also the chairman of the Hockey India League (HIL) Committee, about the revival of the much-anticipated Hockey India League.

Speaking after the conclusion of the Congress, Tirkey, said, “We have been working towards improving the activities and support of hockey at the grassroots level ever since we assumed office.

“Being a former player myself, I understand the importance of financial grants directly to the grassroots level how they impact the lives of budding players, and how empowering State Member Units can help produce hockey stars across India.

“These financial grants are a reflection of our commitment to recognising and nurturing talent in Indian hockey. By incentivizing member units, we aim to foster a spirit of competitiveness and encourage wider participation at the national level,” he said.

Sharing the President’s sentiments, Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said, “These initiatives mark a significant step forward in our mission to enhance the sport of hockey across the country. We believe that these measures will inspire our State Member Units to actively engage in the National Championships, thereby raising the overall standard of the game.”

In addition to these initiatives, the Congress also focused on Member Unit Compliance at the State and District levels, underscoring Hockey India’s commitment to good governance within the sport at all levels.

–IANS