Hockey is struggling to survive in Mumbai: HMC secretary Mahadik

Even as Mumbairsquos air quality index hasnrsquot quite plummeted to unhealthy lows just yet hockey our national sport is gasping for breath hereAs the eightteam Hockey Mumbai Super League HMSL gets underway at the Don Bosco High School turf at Matunga today May 1 to 11 the organisers Hockey Mumbai City HMC have revealed their struggles to achieve this Mission ImpossibleldquoThere are no sponsors for field hockey 11aside version in the city Sponsors believe there are no big clubs or big names in Mumbai hockey anymore so there are no footfalls or eyeballs spectators so therersquos no point advertising So far wersquove only managed to collect 50 per cent of funding to cover the tournamentrdquo Dhananjay Mahadik secretary of HMC told midday on WednesdayEven as fiveaside rink hockey tournaments have been annual affairs in some of the cityrsquos pockets like Kandivli Malad Andheri and Bandra to name a few there has not been a field hockey event in the city for over two years Champions Training Centre emerged victors in the last edition of the HSML in 2023Also ReadSinner reveals he thought of retiring after doping scandalNo ground in MumbaiMahadik Commonweath Games silverwinning defender says there is no good quality fullsize hockey turf in the city ldquoThere are two prominent hockey turfs in Mumbai One is at the Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd MHAL in Churchgate and the other is at the Sports Authority of India SAI campus in Kandivli However there is an ongoing lease issue between the MHAL and the state government who own the land so I wrote a letter to Maharashtrarsquos Sports Minister Dattatray Vithoba Bharne a copy of the letter is with midday on April 22 to seek his permission to use the ground for our tournament but have got no reply And the SAI ground is awaiting renovation the state is planning a centre of excellence there so thatrsquos unavailable too Thankfully Don Bosco has a ground which we have hired Itrsquos shocking that hockey is struggling to survive in a city like Mumbai which has produced numerous internationals and Olympians in the pastrdquo explained Mahadik whose HMC is the only district body recognised by Hockey Maharashtra which runs the sport in the state and is affiliated to the national body Hockey IndiaLow income high expensesldquoWersquore charging Rs 25000 entry fee per team but our expenditure is higher The winning teamrsquos cash award is R1 lakh while the runnersup will earn Rs 50000 The cost to rent the turf is Rs 80000 while we will be paying the referees Rs 400 each per game five officials for each of the 19 games Also every game will have a man of the match award Rs 1000 which I will pay for from my own pocket Irsquom not even getting into administrative expenses like food and refreshmentsrdquo said Mahadik adding that HMC is planning to organise a weekly camp for players who will be scouted from this tournament to represent Mumbai District or better still go on to represent the state teamThe eight HMSL teams mdash Police Boys CTC Union Bank Mumbai Police Central Railway Bombay Republicans MbPT and Mumbai Customs mdash have been divided into two groups The quarterfinals will be on on May 67 semis on May 9 and final on May 11State government cancels MHALrsquos leaseThe State govt has cancelled the lease of the Churchgate plot occupied by the Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd As per a GR Govt Resolution issued on Wednesday ldquoThe lease of the plot to MHAL is hereby cancelled and the said plot will remain under possession of the Sports Department for use as a playgroundrdquo MHAL secretary Ramsingh Rathore however told midday that he has not yet received this GR ldquoI can only comment on the issue after receiving the said letter and throughly going through itrdquo said RathoreatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params