Punjab's artificial grassroots boost for hockey

Punjab is witnessing a green revolution of another kind. Looking to recapture a passion for hockey in the rural hinterland — which once produced many Olympians — Punjab sports director Pargat Singh has come up with an idea that seems to be gaining ground. Saurabh Duggal reports.

Punjab is witnessing a green revolution of another kind.

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Looking to recapture a passion for hockey in the rural hinterland — which once produced many Olympians — Punjab sports director Pargat Singh has come up with an idea that seems to be gaining ground.

The sports department has been busy buying used astroturf from stadiums across the country for cheap and refitting them in small village arenas. As a result, 10 villages now have six-a-side astroturf. By 2011, so will another seven.

"Due to fewer astroturf stadiums in the state, children were not being exposed to playing on synthetic turf. We also had a budgetary crunch (as astroturf is expensive). So, we decided to buy old turf and convert it into smaller turf. The department provided the turf and the local clubs constructed the concrete base on which the turf was laid," Pargat, a former India captain, told HT.

The Commonwealth Games proved a boon for these small Punjab village arenas. The sports department bought old astroturf from Delhi's Shivaji Stadium — which was being refurbished for the Games — for Rs 5 lakh and distributed it to four villages.

"A fifth turf made of it is now at Ferozepur city, where the department also paid for the base work," said Pargat.

In April, the department got turf from Amritsar's Guru Nanak Dev University and last week, from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala arrived.