Good news for the State hockey lovers. The Ranchi Rhinos team is all set to make a comeback in the Hockey India league (HIl). The announcement was made by Hockey Jharkhand’s newly appointed president Bhola Nath Singh on Thursday.
The new franchise and players of the team will be declared on October 24 or 25 at the state capital.
On September 11, the franchise which owned the team in HIl first and second editions in 2013 and 2014 had decided to pull off from the league due to huge financial loses. However, the decision to include the team again was declared at Hockey India’s annual general meeting in New Delhi on October 13.
The third edition of the league is to be held from January 22 to February 22. Singh who also happens to be the general secretary of Jharkhand state wrestling association said overall five matches will be hosted at capital’s astro turf stadium. Hockey India had sent a letter to Jharkhand Sports Authority director on October 15 for booking of astro turf stadium for conducting HIl 2015.
The letter mentioned immediate attention on maintenance of the stadium like cleaning of pitch in a time bound fashion, servicing and testing of flood lights and its entire system, renewal of two goal posts, nets and stand by goal post and net of international standard. Also, it seeks attention on servicing and testing of sprinkling system. Sources focused on renovation of public toilets and player’s dressing room at the stadium.
Talking to The Pioneer, Singh said that the new team will definitely involve state hockey players. “like the two HIls, the final match of HIl 2015 is likely to be held at Ranchi,” he stated.
Keeping the schedule of National Games 2015 at Kerala from January 31 to February 14, Hockey Jharkhand members are mulling to host HIl matches in the dates which do not coincide with National Games. “As of now, the new members of Hockey Jharkhand are inspecting the technical and basic hurdles existing within the stadium. “Unless we do not get keys of our association’s office rooms and work from there, it will be difficult for us to manage HIl,” Indian Women’s team hockey player cum vice-president of Hockey Jharkhand Ashunta lakra said.
Besides, HIl management, Hockey Jharkhand members have pledged to organize senior state championship for men and women category. “Senior state hockey meet have never been held in our state. We hope to host it once in a year. Also, we may hold inter-district hockey meets. The decision will soon be taken at our executive committee meeting,” Singh assured relating to the progress of wrestling association which succeeded in improving the performance of state wrestlers after his joining as secretary general.
Sources maintain that Singh is likely to leave one of the two associations he is working with. Asked on his initiative for training camps for hockey players and wrestlers participating in the national games, he expressed his faith on the government for organizing the camps. “We have submitted the name list of players and coaches to the sports department. In case, the latter fails to host camps because of its dispute with Jharkhand Olympic Association, we are ready to conduct 15 to 20 days camp on our level,” he said.