Hockey India’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elena Norman who witnessed Hero Hockey World league hosted at Raipur for the first time from November 27 to December 6 was impressed by the systematic arrangements made by the Chhattisgarh Government.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer recently, she shared her experiences about the matches and spectators.
Also, she pointed out on the Indian contingent’s performance for the Rio Olympic Games 2016. Excerpts:
Chhattisgarh hosted Hero Hockey World league Finals for the first time. What is was your opinion about the arrangementsIJ
A tournament of the stature of Hero Hockey World league Finals merited the best facilities and arrangements and Chhattisgarh has leveraged the opportunity to its advantage.
The recently inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium in Raipur is one of the best stadiums we have in the county with world class amenities. The teams enjoyed playing on the recently laid pitch at the stadium and have really enjoyed the support of the local fans.
We received tremendous support and assistance from the Chhattisgarh Government, Sports Ministry, local Administration and the Police in ensuring that the tournament ran smoothly and efficiently. This marks the first step towards Chhattisgarh leading in hosting international tournaments for the future.
What is your opinion about the performance of the 8 teams which contested here, particularly about the Indian teamIJ
We had the top eight teams competing for the Hero Hockey World league title and it was the biggest hockey event for 2015. This incidentally was one of the last major tournament before the teams head out for the Rio Olympic games in July 2016 therefore it is important for the teams to test their bench strength, try different strategies and moves in preparation for the prestigious Olympic Games.
The tournament provided exciting matches and showcased hockey at its best.
Team India has had a fantastic year including moving up to number 6 in the FIH World rankings. It is a balanced team of youth, experience and players with exemplary skills.
On their day, the Indian team can give any team a run for its money as we have seen in the tournament. No doubt, a highlight for all fans and hockey lovers was the India and Netherlands bronze medal match.
Are there any other plans of hosting similar tournaments in ChhattisgarhIJ
With such great infrastructure and experience hosting international tournaments and matches, we will definitely be considering Chhattisgarh in the future.
Has the stone pelting incident on Argentinean players on November 26 affected the image of Hockey IndiaIJ
The safety of all those involved in hockey events is a top priority for Hockey India.
Incident involving the Argentina team bus was isolated and unfortunate.
The Indian police provided extensive security for all participating teams during this event and following this incident Hockey India in conjunction with Chhattisgarh Police ensured that the security measures was maintained throughout the duration of the event I have been with Hockey India in my current role as CEO which is now for over 4.5 years.
The Federation as a whole works very hard and the sport of Hockey in India has been able to achieve a great deal in the last couple of years which makes me extremely proud.
Indian Men’s Team is ranked at number 6 and won bronze medal after a gap of 33 years. Both the men’s and women’s team has qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016
What is your response on the turnout of spectators in Raipur and RajnandgaonIJ
Hockey as a sport in India is only growing with stature with each passing year.
The Indian Men’s and Women’s team qualifying for 2016 Rio Olympics will only augment and increase the support for the sport in the country.
Tournaments like Hockey India league are increasingly becoming popular and helped in broad basing the game outside of the metros as well. Popularity for a sport is a journey and we are on track. As expected we have had tremendous turnout for all the matches of the Hero Hockey World league Finals with fans clamouring on roofs and boundary walls to get a view of the action in Raipur and Rajnandgaon.We have had capacity crowd for the India games and fans have also shown great support for the other 7 participating teams in the tournament.