A missing goalpost and a bush for a ground are what students of Shastri Nagar Girls’ High School have to show for a game of hockey. On Monday, two national-level players from the school highlighted the matter at chief minister Nitish Kumar’s janata durbar.

Sixteen-year-old national-level players Annu Kumari and Madhu Kumari turned up at 1 Aney Marg to complain to the chief minister about the lack of infrastructure at their hockey ground. The condition of the ground has been poor for the past six months, the girls said.

Sporting their jerseys, Annu and Madhu reached Nitish’s table to hand over their application. Their demand: immediate and corrective steps to improve the hockey ground.

They wanted to practice properly and the overgrown grass, a single goalpost — broken and without a net at that — and lost balls were hampering their game.

A look at the application and Nitish said: “I will make sure that you get a good ground to practice the sport.” He also called principal secretary, education, Amarjeet Sinha, on the intercom for looking into the girls’ problems.

Amarjeet was handed over the application.

Annu said: “Sir, our hockey ground is in a bad shape. We cannot play or practice properly. We have complained to the school management on several occasions but nothing has been done so far. Kindly do something. Our game is being hampered.”

With a smile, Sinha said: “Do not worry, within a month-and-a-half, the ground will be revamped. Your case will be dealt with on a priority basis. We will contact your school principal and see how fast we can get the work done.”

Happy with the assurance from the principal secretary, the girls left the table. Later they elaborated to The Telegraph their problems.

Madhu said: “There is only one goalpost and that also is broken and does not have a net. The second goalpost is not even there. Overgrown grass has taken up the ground and there is no one to trim it. Many times, we have lost our ball in the bush. We have told this to our principal Rashmi Rekha as well, but she is also not able to do anything. Infrastructure is a major problem. We have to buy everything — from hockey sticks to balls and goalkeeper’s shields. Potholes are another problem — the ground is not plain.”

The Telegraph also saw the problems for itself later.