Hockey Players Resume Sports Activities in Assam, Manipur

Assam’s hockey players have resumed their sporting activities following Interior Ministry (MHA) guidelines amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Assam, around 100 players have resumed limited sporting activities. The players, who belong to the U-16 and U-19 age groups, focus on core drills, and are slowly finding their feet in the game. State Unit players and coaches are currently preparing for their next national tournament – a test event in the first week of November.

“We are happy that our hockey players have resumed their sporting activities. Staying away from the field for a long time is difficult for any athlete. So we are fascinated to have found a way to resume sporting activities by following the SOPs and guidelines provided to us by Hockey India,” said Tapan Kumar Das (General Secretary of Assam Hockey).

“We need to be assured we don’t push our players too hard. They must move forward steadily,” he added.

In Manipur, around 150 players belonging to the U-18 and U-20 categories have resumed their sports activities. The state plans to hold 21 days of coaching sessions in Manipur’s various registered districts for the smooth resumption of sports activities throughout the state.

Basudev Singh (President of Manipur Hockey), said: “We are extremely happy that sports activities have resumed our state. We have been preparing for the re-start of sports activities for many months. Therefore we are delighted that the players in Manipur have a chance to get back on the field. We hope the players will get back to their peak form as quickly as possible. We are very grateful to Hockey India for thinking ahead and putting in place procedures at the right time so that players can Manipur could return to the field without any problem.”

However, Member State units got a general idea of ​​the key aspects to keep in mind when resuming sports activities during an interactive session with national teams’ head coaches and experienced national players.