Ex-Dutch hockey star wants big investment in infrastructure

India will have to invest huge amounts to improve hockey infrastructure in order to regain the top slot in the world, according to former Dutch hockey star and Olympian Floris Jan Bovelander. A gold medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Bovelander was talking to newsmen after meeting Tata Steel officials regarding setting up of a hockey academy in Jharkhand.

Bovelander was accompanied by Rob Van <g data-gr-id="12">Nes</g>, associated with the project “One Million Hockey Legs”, and Khorshed Talati, senior development officer of Tata Trust. He said that India had enough potential and skill to play and match the European and Australian style of hockey. One of the areas of investment is artificial grass on which young talent (from under 14-year age group) have to be trained to improve hockey standards dramatically, he says.