Olympic athlete and newly-elected president of Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, is optimistic that the 36th National Games would produce a number of young, promising athletes.
Dilip Tirkey claims that Indian hockey is in comeback gear ahead of national games
“Indian hockey is undergoing a comeback. Children are participating in it in great numbers once more, and the National Games may provide the sport with the last boost it needs “Tirkey declared.
The men’s and women’s hockey will be of the greatest calibre because only the top eight teams will compete. Young athletes can demonstrate their talent in the hopes of being recognised nationally, “He said, making the implication that the selectors would be present.
Rajkot’s hockey season will start on October 2.
Tirkey acknowledged that his advancement in Indian hockey was a great honour. Being the leader of an organisation with such a long history is truly an honour. I’m pleased that the men’s team won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, and I want to help the sport get the push it needs. We must seek for methods to up our game “added the 44-year-old.
The main objective of Tirkey is to heavily promote hockey in areas where it was once quite popular. Cities like Mumbai and Bhopal are important, as are states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. I’ll visit these locations in an effort to build the game from the ground up. These locations require more artificial turf to develop talent “He said.
The head of HI, who was once thought to be one of hockey’s best defenders in the world, is aware of the need of skilled drag-flickers and courageous goalkeepers. ‘Penalty corners are the lifeblood of modern hockey. Finding and developing experts who can score from penalty corners and a strong group of goalkeepers is necessary “he remarked
Tirkey stated that he also intended to restart the Hockey India League, which had not been played since 2017. This tournament is quite significant. On this, we will speak with representatives of the FIH and search for a global window.”
Tirkey acknowledged the support shown to him during the elections by the Odisha Government and hockey officials. I put in a lot of effort as a player and went to the Olympics and other important international competitions to represent my nation. I’ve been given a new task to complete right now. Numerous expectations exist, but my top focus right now is the World Cup that begins in Odisha on January 13 of the next year, the man added.
