Hockey players resume sports activities in Himachal Pradesh

Players are slowly returning to the field in various states of India.

In accordance with the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) guidelines issued in September, hockey players in Himachal Pradesh have resumed sports activities keeping in mind the detailed SOP and guidelines provided by Hockey India.

The detailed SOPs and guidelines were shared with all the state member units as early as in April 2020 with the intent to be well prepared and ready for systematic rollout.

Around 60 players have resumed limited sports activities in Himachal Pradesh. The players, who have begun sports activities, are between 18 to 21 years of age. The Himachal Pradesh state member unit is currently planning to organize a state championship in the upcoming months.

The state member units got a general idea about the key aspects to keep in mind while resuming sports activities during an interactive session with chief coaches of the national teams and experienced national players; PR Sreejesh and Savita in September.

The chief coaches and players spoke about their first-hand experience of how the national camp coaches and players are following the set protocol at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru since restarting sports activities on 19 August 2020.

"Receiving a detailed SOP and guidelines from Hockey India was the key factor in restarting sports activities in Himachal Pradesh. Our players and officials are absolutely thrilled to be back on the pitch," stated Mr. Romesh Pathania, General Secretary, Hockey Himachal.

"We are ensuring that everyone is following the protocol properly and not exerting too much on the field as well. It's very important for the players to start slowly and steadily increase the intensity of their sports activities sessions everyday," he concluded.