Time to find use for old astro-turf
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 22 2015: With passage of time, the old astro-turf which was first laid in the hockey stadium of Khuman Lampak Sports complex in connection with the 5th National Games at Imphal in 1999 may have been replaced by a new one, but the possible use of the old one has not been thought off in the interest of the hockey players in the State, which is unfortunate.

Leaving them to the vagaries of inclement climate, rolls of the old astro-turf are today lying in a corner on the southern side of the hockey stadium.

Now the question, is there no use of the old astro-turf at all? Even if the old astro-turf could not be used for tournament, does it means they could not be used on the practice ground as well, especially during rainy season?

rolls of the old astro-turf lying in a corner on southern side of the hockey stadium, Khuman Lampak

At one time, hockey was played on the grassy ground but today it has been changed to astro-turf all over the globe.

It is impossible for any hockey players today to even think of taking part in international level event if they were not adept in playing on astro-turf ground.

For the Manipuri players, hockey is a very important game.

It is this game which sent one of their own to the Olympic arena for the first time.

Becoming the first Manipuri Olympian, P Neelkomol was the goal keeper of Indian hockey team in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.The second Manipur Olympian came in the person of Kshetrimayum Thoiba when he played as a left-wing player in the Indian hockey team in Seoul Olympics in 1988 .

Inspired by these two Olympians, hockey became very popular in Manipur and many budding players started taking up the game earnestly even at the local club level.

Local Manipuri players including women players started getting the exposure of playing on astro-turf ground when the hockey stadium at Khuman Lampak was laid with astro-turf for the first time in connection with the 5th National Games at Imphal.

However, the existence of just one astro-turf hockey field has been quite a heartache for many aspiring hockey players as not all of them could get a chance to play on it.

In such a situation, it would be wiser on the part of the State Government, particularly the Department concerned, to think of ways to utilise the old astro-turf from the Khuman Lampak Hockey stadium which is lying abandoned.