As Hockey India celebrates 100 years of its legacy, the decline of sport in the Capital city comes to the fore

Players in action during Delhi University Inter College Women’s Hockey Tournament.

Navneet Singh

Nearly a week after Hockey India marked 100 years of the sport with much fanfare at the iconic Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium, a major collegiate tournament in the Capital—Delhi University Inter College Women’s Hockey Tournament– exposed the abysmal state of grassroots facilities.

The Delhi University Inter College Women’s Hockey Tournament is being conducted on a grassy pitch!

Delhi University

Playing on an artificial surface requires a different skill set, and holding an important collegiate tournament on grass reflects how the game is managed at the development level. The league-cum-knockout event, held from November 12 to 15, is being held on the grassy grounds of SGTB Khalsa College in Delhi University’s North Campus. Promising women hockey players still lack access to basic facilities in the Capital — that is home to governing body Hockey India.

Delhi University’s North Campus does not have a synthetic turf. The tournament could have been shifted to the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which falls under the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Inder Preet Kaur, convener of the tournament, was reluctant to comment on why such an important event was being held on grass. She disconnected the call when asked why the synthetic pitches available in the Capital were not being used.

“Please ask Dr. Kalkal Sir (Delhi University Director Sports). He can update you,” she later said in a WhatsApp message.

Anil Kumar Kalkal, Director of Physical Education and Sports at Delhi University, was unavailable for comment.

A steady decline

While the Indian men’s hockey team has staged a resurgence with back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, the sport is seeing a steady decline in Delhi—a city that once thrived as a hockey hub.

A former national-level player recalled that two decades ago, more than 20 college teams competed in the Delhi University Inter College Women’s Hockey Tournament. “Now the number has been reduced to half,” a Delhi-based hockey coach said.

Only eight teams took part in the 2025–26 edition: Shyama Prasad Mukherji College for Women, Jesus & Mary College, Ram Lal Anand College, Janki Devi Memorial College, Maitreyi College, Vivekanand College, Bharati College, and IGIPESS.

Vivekanand College is the only institution with a synthetic turf, but it does not have a proper sprinkling system—rendering optimal play impossible.

Grassroots crisis

Schools form the backbone of any sporting ecosystem, but the majority of schools in Delhi do not have a hockey team, or even 11 players to field, says a national-level coach Sri Prakash.

“Several public schools once had strong hockey teams,” he said. “Today, schools show no interest in hockey, and that directly affects the quality of players arriving at the collegiate level.”

A college coach added that only four or five members of a team typically have any background in hockey; the rest are novices. “It’s a challenge to prepare 11 players to represent the college in the DU tournament,” the coach said.

This gap in fundamental skills was evident throughout the 2025–26 championship. Given the current scenario, it will be extremely difficult for any player from the Capital to progress to national camps and eventually earn the Indian jersey.

Sport languishes in the capital as Delhi Hockey remains suspended by HI

Delhi hockey league

Delhi once had a thriving hockey structure. The Delhi Hockey League featured both A and B Divisions, but it gradually declined and eventually disappeared. “The league was active till the late 1970s,” said another national-level player familiar with the city’s hockey history.

A former player added that a lack of tournaments has been a key factor in the sport’s decline. “In the early 1980s, we played nearly 20 tournaments in a year. Now there are hardly one or two tournaments for players to showcase their potential.”

Part of the problem lies with the state unit. Delhi Hockey was suspended by Hockey India earlier this year and is currently functioning “by default,” with no structured administration in place.

ENDS