Bihar embraces international sports, unleashes hockey festival

Rajgir, Bihar: The festival of Chhath ended three days ago but the celebratory mood in the state lingers on.

Adding to the enthusiasm is the Women's Asian Champions Trophy, Bihar's first-ever international hockey tournament.

Banners and hoardings dot the roads from Patna, the capital, to virtually any city in the state.

The slogan 'Hockey ka parv, Bihar ka garv' signifies that the state is treating it as a festival. It is an opportunity for locals to showcase their culture and traditions.

And naturally, people are naturally curious.

Sporting impetuous

Usually not known for sporting excellence or infrastructure, the state will host the tournament at the newly built Hockey Stadium in the historic city of Rajgir.

The stadium is part of a larger state-of-the-art Sports University which will cater to 25 different sports – including hockey, football, kabaddi, volleyball, swimming, and wrestling, among others, once completed.

The hockey stadium is the first one to be completed and can house close to six to eight thousand spectators on the stair seats.

There is a lot more work to be done in the complex which will also house a Sports University on the lines of the National Institute of Sports in Patiala offering courses for Sports Psychology, coaching courses for different sports, and physical education courses.

Hockey India conducted an exhibition match earlier this year between the A and B teams of the Indian women's hockey team.

That the match drew a decent crowd was expected, given the lack of sporting action in the state.

"I am very excited for the event and being a hockey, fan we hardly get to see anything. I will travel three hours to watch the games," said Rakesh Singh, a hockey fan who will commute from Jamui to Rajgir to witness the games.

The hockey tournament is expected to start a new era that will change the image Bihar has in the sporting world.

"We aim to change the image Bihar has in the sporting world. This tournament and the sporting complex is our step towards that," one of the officials of Bihar State Sports Authority chimed in.

'Image' is the keyword here as the state has struggled to shed the image of being uninterested in promoting sports. Barring the lone bright spark of the shooter-turned-politician Shreyasi Singh who recently donned national colours at the Paris Olympics in trap shooting, the state has little or no claim towards the development of sporting heroes.

'Bihar's golden chance'

The moment the Women's Asian Champions Trophy was handed to Bihar earlier this year, questions were asked about the efficiency of the organization, the relevance of the tournament, and whether the audience would receive it well.

However, the following months provided a glimpse of the picturesque stadium.

Apart from the stadium, the tournament's promotion has been well-received, and people have constantly talked about it.

Harendra Singh, the coach of the Indian national team brands this tournament as significant for the state.

"This is a golden chance for both the Indian women's team and Bihar to rebuild their legacy in the sporting world, especially hockey."

For a long time, Bihar has performed poorly at the national level irrespective of the sport but the sports complex and tournament have raised the hopes of young players in the state.

"Bihar has hardly won anything at the National level. We have just grass turf in the state where we practice but playing hockey on turf is different. I am looking forward to this complex which will open up new opportunities for us," said Vishal, a member of the Bihar sub-junior hockey team who is deployed as a volunteer.

Apart from the hopes for the young players, the tournament will give a chance to hockey fans in the state to watch international stars closely.

"We are very excited to see the Indian team. I am a big fan of Savita Punia. I can't believe I will see her this close," said Preeti, one of the fans who will rush back from school to watch the Indian game on the first day.

Can Bihar deliver?

Given the history of sporting facilities in the state, the installation of a state-of-the-art hockey turf that costs crores, and investing so much money into a facility that needs constant maintenance could backfire.

Another problem is that the complex is still under construction and a lot needs to be done to get it into shape for hosting international tournaments.

And the state is putting its best foot forward.

While it is not completely ready, the tournament will be a learning experience for people working in the Bihar sports ecosystem.

The teams being accorded a traditional welcome was a small but vital step to promote the state's culture on an international platform.

"Everybody has to start somewhere. You have your whole future ahead of you. Perfection doesn't happen right away," remarked the famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami in his book Blind Willow, Sleeping Women.

It is but an apt narrative of the steps being taken by the Bihar government in organising the tournament.

Fans and aspiring players can only hope that this is the beginning of a sporting transformation in the state.