‘Exchange Program’ will be started for the global development of players- Minister Sarang

Bhopal: Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Shri Vishwas Kailash Sarang has said that every effort should be made to include Madhya Pradesh among the leading states of the country in the field of hockey. In this connection, he announced the start of ‘Player Exchange Program’. Under this program, talented players of the state will be able to get training in prestigious academies of the country and abroad. He said that this will significantly improve the skills of the players and they will be able to perform better at the international level. Minister Shri Sarang was reviewing the Madhya Pradesh Men’s Hockey Sports Academy at Tatya Tope Sports Stadium on Friday. Minister Shri Sarang gave necessary guidelines by discussing in detail the important points related to training in the academy, progress of players, infrastructure and operation of the academy.

Minister Shri Sarang directed that foreign expert coaches should also be invited to make the quality of training in the academy more effective. He informed that at present 8 players of the academy are included in the ‘Indian Core Group’, and now an action plan should be made to increase this target to 16 players. He said that the performance of the Men’s Hockey Academy in the year 2024 has been extremely commendable. The upcoming training and selection process should be conducted based on this year’s strategy. Exchange program will improve performance Minister Shri Sarang said that an exchange program should be started for the players. This will not only improve their skills, but they will also be able to be more mentally prepared for international tournaments. Players from other states will also be invited to Madhya Pradesh, which will give players from both sides an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences. This two-way exchange will prove to be an important milestone in the all-round development of the players.

Current status of seats It was informed in the meeting that 56 seats for boarding and 18 seats for day-boarding are approved in the academy. Out of these, currently 42 seats in boarding and 3 seats in day-boarding are filled. 14 seats in boarding and 15 seats in day-boarding are still vacant. Minister Mr. Sarang said that the process of filling the vacant seats should be started soon and a separate strategy should be made for the outstanding players by identifying them. Infrastructure It was told in the meeting that the academy has 2 astroturf grounds (including pavilion), indoor gym, two hostel buildings of 226 beds, fully equipped sports mess with 24×7 service, physiotherapy room and a trained physiotherapist. Minister Mr. Sarang directed to use the hockey turf located in Aishbagh Stadium for training. Special focus on player development Minister Mr. Sarang said that special training camps should be organized for goalkeepers. Also, such players, who are showing excellence in various aspects, should be provided additional training opportunities. He said that regular counseling sessions will be organized by mental health experts and physiotherapists for the mental and physical health of the players. Additional Chief Secretary Mr. Manu Shrivastava, Sports Director Mr. Rakesh Gupta, Joint Director Mr. B.S. Yadav, academy coaches and related officials were present in the meeting.