E-Paper
City hockey talent being synthetically turf-ed out of excellence, says Sridharan Tamba, tournament secretary and national umpire
Thamba talks about the challenges faces by local players to adjust, especially when they are practising on natural turf or mud surfaces
One of the key factors affecting hockey in the city is the lack of synthetic surfaces available for players to practice on. The city has two synthetic playing surfaces for hockey - at Balewadi and at the Dhyanchand hockey stadium in Pimpri, where the current Friendship Cup is going on.
Sridharan Thamba, tournament secretary and national umpire explains to Manzoor Ahmad why it is a challenge for local players to adjust, especially when they are practicing on natural turf or mud surfaces.
Why does the synthetic surface make such a difference and what needs to be watched out for when playing?
It is obviously tough for those players who have hardly played on synthetic turf and have practised mostly on mud turf. It needs extra power to drag the ball as the surface is wet and has more friction. Players need to take extra care, using sports shoes with spikes, as we witness players slipping on the surface. It completely depends upon a player’s fitness level.
So, is the turf currently the deciding factor for hockey excellence?
Practice and play on the same turf gives a player the exact idea and s/he can perform better in matches. Synthetic turf is mandatory for players, so they can understand stick work and body movements. Flexibility needs to be taken care of when a player plays on synthetic turf. If a player practices three hours daily on synthetic turf, s/he can build various variations and tricks into her/his game, which is not possible on mud grounds. Historically, the game was played on natural turf (grass), but nowadays, it is predominantly played on an artificial turf (synthetic turf). On synthetic turf, the ball keeps low and moves faster along the carpet.
Has the turf changed the game?
The carpet of synthetic turf on a hockey field is wet and smoother. It needs more muscle power and skills than a mud turf. If you practice on mud and perform on synthetic, it will not help. To have more synthetic turf grounds in the city, initiatives were taken by the government six years ago, but have not been implemented.
