Mizoram is confidently betting on hockey to be the engine for the next stage of their sports development. After speaking with state sports minister Lalnghinglova Hmar in New Delhi, Hari Ranjan Rao of the Union Sports Secretary’s office said he would support them. Hmar is leading this effort and wants a new men’s hockey academy and for more people across the state to get training.
Delhi meeting signals a hockey-first push
During a meeting on Tuesday, Hmar argued for bringing back hockey’s former importance in Mizoram, saying it’s a sport where India could realistically win medals. According to an official statement on Wednesday, Rao agreed to help boost hockey in the state and improve the facilities that are already there.
Rao, who is also the Director General of SAI, again stated that the central government considers hockey a very important sport. He promised they’d do everything possible to improve the quality of training and help with the new academy.
A blueprint borrowed from Thenzawl
Hmar brought up the women’s hockey academy in Thenzawl, in the Serchhip district, as something that has already worked well. He said the men’s academy will be run in the same way, taking young, promising players and giving them a good, organized route to becoming top athletes.
Hmar believes hockey is a good opportunity they’ve let slip by. He says that people from Mizoram are naturally good at hockey, but the sport hasn’t done very well lately. He also thinks hockey is one of the best ways for India to win medals in international competitions.
New training footprint under ‘Empowering Mizoram Sports’
Along with the academy, Hmar also suggested more SAI training centers as part of the ‘Empowering Mizoram Sports’ program. This program will cover hockey, badminton, archery, and wrestling, and is meant to reach more young people at a local level while also creating ways for athletes to reach a high standard of performance.
Rao said these plans fit with the national goals for getting sports programs approved. He thinks they will be in a good position to become Khelo India approved training centers. The idea is to make the best use of what they have now and increase the amount of training available for the future.
Rao’s assessment of Mizoram’s potential
The Union Sports Secretary complimented the state for being very clear about what they want to achieve, and said Mizoram could really help India do well in sports if they keep going as they are. He pointed to Mizoram’s recent successes in badminton and said they could do something similar with football in other places.
This approval is important. It shows that everyone agrees on a long-term plan, and not just one single project. It also links what Mizoram wants to achieve to how well India does in sports as a whole, with hockey being the main focus.
Why this pivot matters now
For young athletes, the new academy and training centers will mean they have more chances to play, better coaches, and a clearer idea of how to get to the top. For the state itself, it’s a move away from just occasionally winning, and towards improving the whole system of sports development, with hockey and other key sports at the center of it.
Officials have said that getting the most out of the current facilities is as important as building new ones. The goal is to improve the quality of training quickly, while the academy and centers are being developed.
Here are the key takeaways from the talks:
– Men’s hockey academy plan received central backing
– SAI centres proposed in four disciplines
– Existing facilities to be optimised for training
– Khelo India accreditation targeted for centres
What comes next
The conversation in New Delhi on Tuesday now means the plans can be put into action. Because Rao has promised support and the state has made a strong case, the next thing to do is to make a schedule for the plans and actually make the improvements to the facilities.
If Mizoram continues to put this much effort in, focusing on hockey could bring back a sport that was once strong and also help other sports get better. The plan is very clear: to turn natural ability into medal winning performances, and to have systems in place that will continue to work for a long time.
