Punjab: Amritsar has consistently produced fine players for the national hockey team, contributing stars to both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite this remarkable contribution, the city lacks a dedicated astroturf to train its young talents. The astroturf installed in 2008-09 at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) is due to be shut down from 2023 due to its poor condition, and neither the central nor state governments have committed to funding the nearly Rs 7 crore required to install a new astroturf. Astroturf is essential for modern hockey, as all national and international games are played on artificial grass. To prepare young players for the speed and accuracy required at the competitive level, they must train on such surfaces. Without access to astroturf, players are at a great disadvantage in controlling the fast-moving ball during matches.
Amritsar has produced four key players for the Indian men’s hockey team at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, where the team won bronze medals on both occasions – an unprecedented feat of two consecutive Olympic medals. These players include local stars Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shamsher Singh and Jugraj Singh, who represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Similarly, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Amritsar produced five players in the men’s national team and one in the women’s team, including drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur. Despite Amritsar’s impressive track record of producing Olympic-level talent, the lack of proper facilities, including astroturf, hampers the development of future players. Experts believe this neglect is detrimental to the city’s hockey prospects and demand immediate attention from the government. Senior players are advocating for at least two astroturf grounds in Amritsar to meet the growing demand for high-level training.
Emphasising the importance of artificial turf for training, Olympian Brigadier (Retd) Harcharan Singh said, “In modern hockey, practising on artificial turf is not only important but a crucial factor for success. However, it is for the government to decide on laying astroturf, which costs around Rs 7 crore. There should be at least two astroturf surfaces in Amritsar alone for the players.” GNDU sports director Kunwar Mandeep Singh said the university had attempted to repair the existing turf for several years after it crossed its lifespan in 2016-17. “The existing turf is now beyond repair and needs to be completely replaced,” he informed. The Punjab sports department has informed the university that a proposal for replacement may be presented in the upcoming budget. However, the university’s previous attempts to get funds from both the central and state governments have been unsuccessful. Technical experts have criticised the idea of further repairs, saying the rubber underneath the surface is crumbling into pieces, posing a risk of injury to the players.
