Hockey trials were conducted on handball goalpost! It seems unbelievable but unfortunately, it actually happened. Indian hockey created history by clinching bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics but the apathy towards the national game in the city is continued. The trials organised by RTM Nagpur University to select the team for Khelo India at Ishwar Deshmukh College of Physical Education is a glaring example of it.
When the players reached the venue for the trials at 9 a.m. they were surprised to see handball goalpost instead of hockey for the trials. The question arises had varsity sports department not verified if the basic infrastructure for the game of hockey is available at IDCPE or not?
In this regard when contacted the teacher in charge of hockey event Prof. Mohite he denied that trials were conducted on handball goalpost. While talking to Lokmat Times he said, " It is a fact that hockey goalposts were not available at the college ground but later in the afternoon we managed to bring them on the venue at then conducted the trials." However, a source who was present at the venue on the condition of anonymity said " The trials started at 9 a.m. but till 4 p.m. the hockey goalposts had not arrived there. Secondly, the hockey goalposts are available at only one or two places in Nagpur city. It is surprising how they managed it within short time?", he said.
Pramod Jain, the secretary of Vidarbha Women Hockey Association (VWHA) said teacher-incharge Mohite had approached them for goalpost but they expressed their inability to provide them. It is learnt that 70 boys and 30 girls appeared for the trials on the first day of three-day trials. After the trials, the five-member panel will select the varsity team for the forthcoming Khelo India Game
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No such thing happened: Suryavnashi
Director of Department of Sports and Physical Education of RTM Nagpur university Dr Sharad Suryavanshi has denied that such a thing happened at IDCPE during trials. " In the morning session, players were asked to report at the venue with RTPCR report. The actual trials happened in the afternoon session and till then the college authorities managed the goalposts. All the trials were conducted in an appropriate manner," he said.