Vidarbha’s Hockey Story: From Grassroots Glory to Lost Recognition

thenewsdirt
Oct 21
12 min read

The hockey grounds of Vidarbha tell a story of talent caught between ambition and institutional failure.

For decades, players from this central Maharashtra region have wielded sticks with exceptional skill, yet their journey from local turfs to national recognition has been marked by administrative controversies, infrastructure deficits, and a persistent struggle for legitimacy.

The region's hockey culture, shaped by colonial legacy and postcolonial challenges, stands as a testament to individual perseverance rather than systemic support. What emerges from this history is not a narrative of triumph but one of unrealised potential, where gifted athletes have repeatedly outgrown the structures meant to nurture them.

Vidarbha represents both the promise and the problems inherent in Indian hockey's regional landscape.

Foundations in the Colonial Era and Early Organisation

Hockey arrived in central India during British rule, introduced through military cantonments and educational institutions in the mid-19th century.

The sport gained traction across the Central Provinces and Berar, the administrative region that encompassed much of present-day Vidarbha, as colonial authorities promoted organised athletics.

By the early 20th century, hockey had established itself alongside cricket and football as part of the sporting culture in Nagpur, the principal city of the region. The availability of open grounds, particularly around military installations and educational campuses, allowed the sport to take root among local populations.

National tournaments like the Beighton Cup in Calcutta and the Aga Khan tournament in Bombay, both dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, became aspirational destinations for teams from across India, including those from the central regions.

The formation of the Indian Hockey Federation in 1925 provided national structure to the sport, and by 1928, India had made its Olympic debut at Amsterdam, beginning an unprecedented run of dominance.

This golden era of Indian hockey reverberated through provinces like Central Provinces and Berar, where young players watched national heroes like Dhyan Chand and dreamed of emulating their feats. Local clubs and school teams emerged as training grounds, though formal institutional support remained limited.

The partition of India in 1947 and the subsequent reorganisation of states in 1956 brought administrative changes that would later influence hockey governance in the region. Vidarbha, though culturally and geographically distinct, was merged into Maharashtra, setting the stage for future tensions over sporting representation.

The Vidarbha Hockey Association was established in 1959, marking the first formal institutional attempt to govern and promote the sport across the region. The association set up its ground near Patrakar Shahnivas on Amravati Road in Nagpur's Civil Lines area, which would become the principal venue for hockey in Vidarbha.

This period saw the development of a local league system and the organisation of tournaments that brought together teams from across the region's districts, including Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Chandrapur, and Gondia.

The VHA ground, equipped initially with natural grass, hosted matches that attracted players from schools, colleges, and emerging clubs.

For players in the region, the VHA became the primary pathway to state-level and national competitions, though access to higher levels of the sport remained constrained by limited resources and geographic distance from major hockey centres in Punjab, Bengal, and Bombay.

The Rise of Railway and Departmental Hockey

From the 1970s through the early 2000s, departmental teams became the backbone of competitive hockey in Vidarbha.

The South East Central Railway, headquartered in Nagpur, emerged as one of the region's strongest hockey teams, regularly competing in national championships and providing employment opportunities for talented players.

Railway hockey offered a pathway to sustained athletic careers, combining job security with competitive sport.

The Central Railway and South East Central Railway teams drew players not only from Vidarbha but from across India, yet local talent found opportunities to prove themselves at senior division tournaments organised by the VHA.

Other departmental sides, including teams from the Range Police and various public sector units, contributed to a competitive ecosystem. The VHA Senior Division League became the most prestigious tournament in the region, with teams like Dhyanchand Academy, Eagle Sporting Club, and Orange City Club regularly competing for honours.

Dhyanchand Academy, named after the legendary hockey player, became a notable institution for developing young talent in Nagpur. These clubs and academies operated with limited budgets but passionate coaches and administrators who saw hockey as more than recreation.

The establishment of the Orange City Club by Iqbal Mirza represented a significant private initiative in Nagpur's hockey landscape. Mirza, a dedicated promoter of the sport, founded the club to provide training and competitive opportunities for young players.

His son, Irshad Mirza, would later become one of the region's most accomplished hockey players, representing multiple states in national championships and eventually playing professionally in Sri Lanka's Premier Hockey League. Orange City Club became a nursery for talent, producing players who would go on to represent state and national teams. The club's matches at the VHA ground drew spectators and created a local following for hockey, even as the sport struggled to compete with cricket for popular attention.

Schools and colleges in Nagpur also contributed to hockey's grassroots development. Institutions like Dhanwate National College, which had robust sports programmes, fielded hockey teams that competed in university championships.

The Nagpur University hockey tournaments provided another tier of competition, allowing collegiate players to hone their skills.

By the 1990s and early 2000s, a recognisable hockey circuit existed in Vidarbha, though it operated largely in isolation from the broader national scene.

Players who excelled locally often found it difficult to break into state teams, as Hockey Maharashtra's attention remained focused on Mumbai, Pune, and other western Maharashtra centres.

Institutional Recognition and Administrative Turmoil

In 2013, Hockey India inducted the Vidarbha Hockey Association as an associate member, granting the region the right to field teams in national championships.

This recognition represented a significant milestone, as Vidarbha could now compete directly in Hockey India tournaments rather than being subsumed under Hockey Maharashtra.

The move mirrored arrangements in cricket, where the Vidarbha Cricket Association enjoyed separate recognition despite being part of Maharashtra. For hockey players in the region, this development promised greater visibility and opportunities.

However, the arrangement proved short-lived. The Indian Olympic Association's "One State, One Unit" policy, designed to streamline sports governance and prevent fragmentation, directly threatened Vidarbha's separate status. In January 2020, Hockey India notified the VHA that its membership would be revoked effective July 1, 2020, citing the IOA directive that allowed only one association per state.

The VHA challenged this decision in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, arguing that its separate recognition was justified by Vidarbha's distinct identity and cricket's precedent. The legal battle dragged on for years, during which the VHA retained associate membership status.

On June 20, 2024, the Bombay High Court upheld Hockey India's decision, ruling that the one-state-one-unit policy was a legitimate governance framework and that Vidarbha, not being a separate state, could not maintain independent membership. The court directed the VHA to seek affiliation with Hockey Maharashtra if it wished to continue organising hockey activities.

The Supreme Court, on May 26, 2025, refused to entertain the VHA's appeal, noting that hockey, unlike cricket, was an Olympic sport bound by IOA regulations that mandated singular state representation. The apex court's decision effectively ended the VHA's decades-long status as a governing body with national-level affiliation.

The administrative turmoil had severe consequences for players and tournaments. During the legal proceedings, matches and championships organised by the VHA existed in a state of uncertainty.

Teams affiliated with the VHA were barred from participating in Hockey Maharashtra's state championships, cutting off the pathway to national competitions. Players faced a difficult choice to remain loyal to the VHA and risk isolation, or switch allegiance to newly formed district associations that sought affiliation with Hockey Maharashtra.

The Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association, formed in 2012 and later affiliated with Hockey Maharashtra, became an alternative body, though it too faced criticism over its formation process and governance.

Internal conflicts within the VHA exacerbated the situation. Allegations of autocratic management, irregular elections, and financial mismanagement plagued the association. The appointment of an administrator by the High Court to oversee VHA affairs reflected the depth of governance failures.

Meanwhile, the Vidarbha Women's Hockey Association, which operated the Tigers Gap ground in Sadar, also struggled with limited resources and declining relevance after women's hockey was absorbed into Hockey India's unified structure. Both grounds, once vibrant centres of the sport, fell into neglect, with reports describing them as overgrown and unplayable during rainy seasons.

The institutional chaos forced talented players to look beyond Vidarbha for opportunities. Syed Niyaz Rahim emerged as one of the region's most prominent male players in the 2010s and 2020s.

After excelling in local tournaments, Niyaz joined Indian Railways and has captained the team since 2019, leading them to five gold medals at Hockey India national championships. His inclusion in India's 33-member core probables list brought national attention to Vidarbha's hockey talent.

Niyaz's cousin, Aakib Rahim, followed a similar path, joining the Indian Navy and competing at senior national tournaments. The two faced each other in the final of the Murugappa Gold Cup in 2025, with Niyaz leading Indian Railways to a 3-1 victory over Aakib's Indian Navy team, a match that symbolised both the talent pool in Vidarbha and the necessity of leaving the region to sustain careers. Both players won individual awards at the tournament, with Niyaz named the fastest player and Aakib declared the strongest player.

Irshad Mirza, son of Orange City Club founder Iqbal Mirza, built a versatile career representing over half a dozen states in Hockey India nationals while employed with Central Railway in Nagpur.

Frustrated by the lack of infrastructure and administrative support in Vidarbha, Mirza sought opportunities abroad, signing with the Sri Lanka Police for the Sri Lanka Premier Hockey League in 2025.

In interviews, Mirza expressed confidence in the quality of players from Nagpur and Vidarbha, asserting that local talent could compete with teams from Hockey Maharashtra. Yet he lamented the absence of adequate infrastructure, match practice, and stable administration, factors that prevented the region's players from realising their full potential.

Women's hockey in Vidarbha faced even steeper challenges. Himanshi Sharad Gawande, a product of Ira International School in Nagpur, became one of the region's brightest prospects. After representing Vidarbha in junior nationals, she switched affiliation to Hockey Maharashtra, seeking better training facilities and exposure.

Her decision reflected a broader trend of talented female players who found it necessary to leave Vidarbha to access quality coaching and competitive opportunities. Himanshi was selected among 41 probables for Hockey India's junior women's national coaching camp in 2024, trained at the Sports Authority of India centre in Mumbai, and captained the Maharashtra junior women's team. Her success came despite, rather than because of, the hockey infrastructure in Vidarbha.

Ira International School emerged as a significant contributor to women's hockey in the region. The school's teams, coached by experienced trainers like Shahid Bux, won multiple district and state-level championships in the 2010s and 2020s. Students like Shrawani Tulankar, Yashasvi Kubde, and Lajo Rahangdale were selected for Maharashtra teams in national competitions, with Tulankar captaining the state side.

These achievements highlighted the role of private institutions in filling gaps left by associational failures. However, even successful programmes like Ira's operated with limited support, relying on the dedication of coaches and school management rather than systemic backing from hockey associations.

Infrastructure Deficits and Missed Opportunities

The absence of synthetic turf facilities became a critical impediment to hockey development in Vidarbha.

While the VHA ground had synthetic AstroTurf installed at some point, maintenance issues and the association's declining status meant the facility was underutilised.

The Vidarbha Women's Hockey Association ground at Sadar, which hosted local tournaments and training camps, lacked modern amenities. Reports from the early 2020s described both grounds as poorly maintained, with overgrown grass and inadequate drainage systems rendering them unplayable during monsoons.

Proposals to build international-standard hockey infrastructure in Nagpur repeatedly failed to materialise. In 2017, plans were announced to construct an AstroTurf facility at the Sports Authority of India's Regional Centre at Wathoda.

The plan included a budget of 50 crore for the first phase, which was to feature a synthetic hockey turf, compound wall, and administrative building. Despite these announcements, the project languished, and by 2021, the land earmarked for the hockey turf had been converted into a golf course at the Divisional Sports Complex in Mankapur. This diversion of resources underscored the low priority accorded to hockey compared to other sports and recreational activities.

The lack of modern facilities forced players to train on substandard surfaces, limiting their ability to develop the skills required for contemporary hockey, which is played almost exclusively on synthetic turf at national and international levels.

Players from Vidarbha arriving at national camps or competitions faced a significant disadvantage compared to peers from regions with better infrastructure. Coaches and former players repeatedly called for investment in AstroTurf facilities, arguing that Vidarbha's talent pool could flourish if provided with proper training environments.

The 2020s brought both setbacks and small signs of resilience. The Hockey India League returned in December 2024 after a seven-year hiatus, with the season running from December 28, 2024, to February 1, 2025. Niyaz Rahim and Aakib Rahim were drafted by franchises, validating their standing in national hockey.

However, no franchise was established in Vidarbha, and the league's geographic focus remained on established hockey centres. Players from the region continued to represent departmental teams like Indian Railways, Indian Navy, and Central Railway in national championships, maintaining a visible presence despite institutional challenges.

At the grassroots level, organisations like the Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association and the Vidarbha Women's Hockey Association organised smaller tournaments and coaching camps, attempting to keep the sport alive.

The Khasdar Krida Mahotsav, an annual multi-sport festival in Nagpur, included hockey competitions that provided a platform for local clubs and school teams. Private academies and clubs, including Orange City Club, Anjani Hockey Club, and Dhyanchand Academy, continued training young players, though financial constraints limited their reach.

The broader question of governance remained unresolved. With the VHA stripped of Hockey India affiliation and forced to operate under Hockey Maharashtra, district-level associations in Vidarbha scrambled to establish legitimacy. \

Hockey Maharashtra, now the sole recognised body for the state, included representation from Vidarbha districts like Nagpur, Yavatmal, Bhandara, and Gondia in its executive committee formed in August 2022.

Parvez Qureshi from the Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association was elected vice-president of Hockey Maharashtra, offering a degree of regional representation. Yet the integration remained incomplete, with lingering resentment over the loss of separate status and concerns that Vidarbha's interests would be marginalised within the larger state body.

Hockey culture in Vidarbha today exists in a fragmented form. Individual players continue to emerge, driven by personal determination and family support. Schools like Ira International, Swaminarayan School, and School of Scholars field competitive teams in district and state tournaments.

Departmental sides based in Nagpur, particularly South East Central Railway, maintain traditions established decades earlier. Yet the overarching narrative is one of missed opportunities and systemic neglect.

The region that once harboured ambitions of becoming a recognised hockey hub now functions as a supplier of raw talent to be refined elsewhere.

The contrast with cricket is stark. The Vidarbha Cricket Association enjoys national recognition, operates world-class facilities, and has produced Ranji Trophy champions and Test cricketers.

Hockey in Vidarbha, despite comparable talent, operates in the shadows, constrained by administrative dysfunction, inadequate infrastructure, and policy frameworks that prioritise uniformity over regional distinctiveness.

Whether this trajectory can be reversed depends on factors beyond the control of players and grassroots organisers, including government investment, associational reform, and a willingness to recognise that Vidarbha's hockey culture, though embattled, remains alive.