Shillong: Newly appointed president of the Meghalaya State Hockey Association (MSHA), Ampareen Lyngdoh, also the minister for Urban Affairs, said that fresh steps have been proposed to give a face-lift to the game, at a meeting held in city on Wednesday.
Lamenting the dismal state of hockey in the State, Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times that lack of space and a proper field for practicing were the main reasons for the game’s decline while adding that innovative steps are needed to be taken to ensure the game’s survival.
“There are many young and talented hockey players in the state, so I feel that introducing innovative plans to popularize this game is the need of the hour”, Lyngdoh reiterated.
When asked about the ways to develop this game in a football centric state like Meghalaya, the MSHA president said kids nowadays are multi-talented and should have more options to cater to. Ampareen also stated that hockey as a sport would become an important component in all schools very soon, thereby giving the kids a chance to try something new.
Lyngdoh further added that all kinds of sports should be given equal importance, hence the sports infrastructure should be varied. She expressed sadness over the non -availability of proper training facilities for many sport disciplines in the State.
Commenting on popularity of hockey in the state, Lyngdoh said, “Hockey is yet to be popularized but we need to make it a preferred game among kids.”
Stating that the Association has requested chief minister, Dr Mukul Sangma to earmark a hockey field in the proposed multi-sports complex in New Shillong, she said the idea is to promote hockey and give players abundant space for training.
On a query relating to recent controversy with the two Assam sports officials, Lyngdoh said the Association has sent a reminder to the Hockey Association of India on Wednesday to take note of people who are a discredit to the game.
It may be reminded that last year, Meghalaya police registered a cheating case against two Assam sports officials, Raj Kakoti and Sumita Sinha charging them with impersonating as members of Meghalaya Hockey Association a day before Hockey India elections in 2010.