PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Sports minister Rekha Arya averred that hockey culture is growing in Uttarakhand. She said this while celebrating the 100th anniversary of Indian hockey, during which she played with hockey players at the Manaskhand Sports Complex in Haldwani on Friday, when an exhibition match was also organised.
Without prior engagement, Arya visited the stadium to meet the hockey players. She informed the players that the Indian Hockey Federation was founded on this day in 1925. Following this, the Indian hockey team made its Olympic debut in 1928, winning the gold medal and raising the flag of Indian hockey on a global stage.
Arya said that there was a time when teams around the world were intimidated by the Indian hockey team. She encouraged young hockey players to train with determination to restore the former glory of Indian hockey, suggesting that such success could be achieved again.
She said that hockey culture had developed rapidly in Uttarakhand and noted that the State has produced notable players like Vandana Kataria. Arya urged the players to prepare with the aim of ensuring a strong representation of Uttarakhand in the Indian hockey team for the upcoming Olympics.
