STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Sikh Progressive Front (SPF), under the leadership of President Balvinder Singh, expressed strong concerns over the deteriorating state of hockey in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly criticizing the long-standing mismanagement by Hockey J&K.
Despite being declared a defunct body by the JKUT Sports Council, Hockey J&K continues to operate independently, leading to disastrous performances in national tournaments, he said in a press conference here on Thursday .
In recent events, he said, Hockey J&K’s teams suffered humiliating defeats. In the Sub Junior Men and Women North Zone Hockey Championship held in Jhansi from July 15-22, 2024, the men’s team was soundly defeated by Delhi (6-1), UP (18-0), and Punjab (15-0), conceding 39 goals while scoring only 1. The women’s team, unable to field a team for the tournament, faced similar dismal results in the Junior Women North Zone Championship from August 1-8, 2024. They lost to Delhi 39-0, Uttarakhand 25-0, and Haryana 30-0, conceding 94 goals without scoring a single goal.
These results, Balvinder said, underscore the rampant corruption and partiality in Hockey J&K’s player selection process, which SPF and former national and international players strongly condemned. The Sports Council’s decision to declare Hockey J&K defunct was welcomed, as the body’s actions have deceived and exploited budding players for years.
Despite being defunct, Hockey J&K has initiated the selection process for the upcoming Junior Men Inter Zone Championship in Jalandhar, Punjab, from September 9-19, 2024, causing confusion and concern among players and their parents about the legitimacy of the teams and participation certificates, Balvinder said.
SPF and former players have called on Hockey India to intervene immediately to prevent further exploitation of players and to restore order.
They urged Hockey India to establish an ad hoc body involving former national and international players from J&K, in consultation with the JKUT Sports Council, to ensure the proper management and promotion of hockey in the region.
Other prominent SPF members and former national players present at the press conference included Manjit Singh, Janak Singh, Rajinder Singh Sudan, Ravinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh Kuku, M.S. Reen (International Umpire), P.P. Singh, and T.P. Singh.