Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 29: The Sikh Progressive Front (SPF), led by president Balvinder Singh held a press conference here today and expressed serious concerns over the poor performance and mismanagement of Hockey J&K. They alleged that despite being declared a defunct body by the J&K Sports Council, Hockey J&K continues to manage the sport privately, leading to severe defeats in recent national tournaments.
They alleged that in the Sub-Junior Men’s North Zone Hockey Championship in Jhansi (July 15-22, 2024), Hockey J&K’s men’s team lost all matches, conceding 39 goals while scoring only once. The women’s team did not participate. In the Junior Women North Zone Championship (August 1-8, 2024), the women’s team lost all matches, conceding 94 goals without scoring.
SPF and former national players welcomed the Sports Council’s decision to declare Hockey J&K defunct, citing corruption and biased player selection. They called on Hockey India to intervene and form an ad-hoc body with former national and international players from J&K to manage the sport, ensuring fair play and development. The press conference highlighted the need for immediate action to prevent further exploitation of players and confusion regarding team selection for upcoming tournaments.
Other member who were present were Manjit Singh, Janak Singh, Rajinder Singh Sudan, Ravinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh Kuku, MS Reen International Umpire, P P Singh, T.P Singh etc