By: M.H.Yakeem
Due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the game coming to a halt for the past one and a half years, the much awaited AGM is scheduled to take place on the 31st of May and hopefully, a Hockey loving person be appointed to take the sport forward as the President.
Since of a 30 years period, standard of Hockey in Sri-Lanka has declined and who gets appointed is not the question ,Will he be a person who will have an interest to take this game to the top will be the concern of the Hockey loving fraternity of Sri Lanka .
Mainly, Hockey is played in the district of Matale, Colombo, Badulla, Kandy. However, few years back Wennappuwa, Negombo, Gampaha, Galle, Matara, Jaffna has now immerged as new areas that has created an interest in playing this sport.
Galle hosted the first ever Senior Nationals in 1982, and Jaffna, the All Island Schools tournament in 2013.
We have had 63 Senior Nationals played since 1956 to 2019 and 46 Junior Nationals from 1973 to 2019. Jaffna had the distinction of emerging as Joint Champs with Colombo at the Senior Nationals in 1971.
Game of Hockey has to be developed from the grassroot level and hope the new President and the Committee that get appointed will take an interest, Formulate strategy and make an honest effort in developing this great game in Sri Lanka and bring back past glory and stature the game had.
