For ten long years, a crucial nursery for hockey talent in the heart of Gurugram has stood silent and empty. The once-bustling sports hostel in Sector 56, managed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), has been shut since 2014, leaving a gaping hole in the region's sporting infrastructure and frustrating former players and officials who see it as a vital asset going to waste.
A Decade of Neglect and Lost Potential
The hostel, which was inaugurated with much fanfare, provided a structured environment for budding hockey players from across Haryana and beyond. It offered not just accommodation but also access to quality coaching and facilities, creating a pipeline for the state known as India's hockey powerhouse. Its closure a decade ago abruptly ended that pipeline.
The official reason cited for the shutdown was a directive from the SAI headquarters in New Delhi. However, the specifics behind that order have remained unclear over the years, leading to growing dissatisfaction. Former international players and local sports administrators argue that the state, which has produced legends like Sandeep Singh, cannot afford to let such infrastructure lie dormant.
Mounting Pressure from the Hockey Community
The demand for reopening the facility is gaining momentum. Key figures in Haryana's hockey ecosystem are raising their voices, urging both state and central authorities to take action. They emphasize that the hostel is essential for identifying and nurturing young talent at a grassroots level, providing them with the focused training needed to compete at national and international stages.
Gurugram itself, now a major urban hub, lacks sufficient dedicated sports hostels for hockey, making the Sector 56 facility's revival even more critical. Proponents of the reopening suggest that with proper management and investment, the hostel could once again become a beacon for aspiring players. They envision it as a center of excellence that could complement the existing hockey academies in the region.
The Path Forward: Appeals and Administrative Hurdles
Despite the clear demand, the process to restart the hostel involves navigating bureaucratic channels. Appeals have been made to the SAI at the national level and to the Haryana sports department at the state level. The stakeholders are calling for a collaborative effort to inspect the premises, assess the required repairs or upgrades, and draft a concrete plan for its operational revival.
The situation underscores a broader challenge in sports administration—maintaining and fully utilizing existing infrastructure. The decade-long closure represents a significant opportunity cost for Indian hockey, potentially losing a generation of players who could have benefited from its ecosystem.
As pressure builds, the hope is that the combined appeal from veterans, officials, and the sports community will translate into decisive action. Reopening the Gurugram hockey hostel is not just about restoring a building; it's seen as rekindling a vital flame for the sport in a region that lives and breathes hockey.
