Lack of floodlights affect Indian women's World Cup preparation

Indian women hockey team's preparations for the world cup affected after sports Authority of india denies them floodlight facilities

Indian women hockey team's preparations for the world cup affected after sports Authority of India denies them floodlight facilities
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It seems the dark days are not over yet for the Indian women's hockey team. Thankfully however this has nothing to do with sexual harassment, but concerns a flaw in the facility at the National Institute of Sport, Patiala, where the national training camp is on.

The Indian eves were into Day Three of the camp in preparation for the women's World Cup to be played in Argentina later this month, and the team management had planned to extend the evening training session a little after sundown. However, the idea was shot down by the Sports Authority of India, who own the centre here, due to their inability to switch on the floodlights at the hockey facility.

Newly appointed national women's coach Sandeep Somesh confirmed the incident. "We have a 31-member group preparing for the World Cup of which we will be picking a squad of 18 plus four standbyes tomorrow afternoon. We planned to extend the training under lights but it didn't materialise for some reason," Somesh told MiD DAY here yesterday.

A member of the support staff, however, was more forthcoming. "This was our last evening session before the squad is picked tomorrow around noon, so we had the girls play a practice match against a local boys team.

Our girls did well to hold the boys to a goalless draw, but unfortunately the second half of the game had to be cut short as the ground staff here expressed their inability to turn on the lights for us."

A SAI official, who did not wish to be named, reasoned. "We have no objection to the women playing under lights but there is a technical fault with the wiring at the venue. After the new astroturf was laid here, the wiring has not been restored, so we are unable to turn on the lights. The problem will be solved in due course," he said.

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