HYDERABAD: A decade after the Andhra Pradesh Police Department and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding facilitating the former handing over the venue to the latter to construct an international standard hockey stadium, including a Rs.1.50-crore astro-turf at Begumpet, both departments are unable to trace the related file.

The Police Department, even while trying to get a copy of the MoU that was signed in October 1996, has in fact gone one step ahead and started digging up the place to construct a traffic police station on the premises of the stadium in the already cramped venue, albeit after formally `informing' SAAP.

However, amid all the brouhaha, the national game of hockey is suffering. The synthetic turf, expected to last only eight years, is already on extended `life' at Begumpet. Consequently, players are finding increasingly difficult to even trap the ball close to the `D' in either half and many players are ending up seriously injured. Even the public utilities are stinking with no maintenance.

There was the option of laying a new turf at this venue for the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and another one at Gymkhana Grounds, as two turfs within a distance of one km was mandatory for an international tournament. But, it was felt that Gachibowli was a better option. Since then, this venue has been neglected. The problem is that most teams cannot afford to go to Gachibowli because of the distance and expenses involved.

The Hyderabad Hockey Association has to get permission from SAAP every time it organises leagues and tournaments. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, SAAP VC & MD insists they never denied permission for any of the above events, but points out that because Sports Authority of India (SAI) Hockey Academy is located there, there have to be some adjustments in timings from both sides.

Formal permission

But HHS secretary G. Satyanarayana feels it is frustrating to run after officials to get the formal permission every time. He points out that last month the State sub-junior national camp at Gymkhana Grounds was hampered on the ground that coaching a few boys at the venue was more important than the camp.

Triple Olympian Mukesh Kumar suggests purchasing `used' turfs from Europe, good enough for domestic hockey, at reasonable prices.

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