However, to better the performance before Paris 2024, officials in Punjab will need to put in 25 percent extra effort to churn out a good number of players, said Sukhvir Grewal, a former international hockey player and former director of the Punjab Institute of Sports (PIS).
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Sukhvir said:
Sukhvir said it’s a challenging situation in Punjab because there hasn’t been enough investment in sports in terms of grassroots development.
According to Sukhvir, as many as 11 players selected for the men’s team in Tokyo were part of the state’s development plan initiated in 2005. Meanwhile, Hardik Singh was in the 2009 batch.
Sukhvir thinks extra effort is required to translate the success at the junior level to the senior level.
Sukhvir said junior players should form the backbone of the development group before moving up to the senior level. It will take 3-4 years to adjust to the higher group, he added.
If Sukhvir is to be believed, a long term development plan is missing in Punjab’s sports curriculum.
Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Mohali are the three main hockey training centers in the state. There are 70 players each in Jalandhar and Mohali, while the Ludhiana center has 40 players, Sukhvir said.
Players from various age groups, including those under 12, are enrolled in academies run by the state government.
According to a state hockey coach working with the Punjab government, several players haven’t been able to learn the fundamentals of hockey in the development stage due to the lockdown, and yet have advanced to the next age group.
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