Thanks to the Tatas, a full-fledged residential hockey cradle will be in place by the middle of the year.
Tata Steel is setting up the cradle at Indian Steel and Wire Products (ISWP) Sports Complex near Telco township in Jamshedpur with technical aid from Dutch player Floris-Jan Bovelander, who had won team gold in the Atlanta Olympics of 1996.
Former India hockey captain Sandeep Singh has already chipped in with technical inputs for the school, which has been a dream for the Tatas, which already runs football and archery academies.
"We have fixed the ISWP Sports Complex as the venue of the cradle, which will be in place by June or July. Most of the logistics related to the academy has already been worked out," a senior Tata Steel sports wing official revealed.
For now, the academy will start taking boys while girls will be inducted at a later stage. "Boys in the age group of 12-14 will be inducted, but we are yet to take a final decision on the age," he said, adding that cadets would be trained for four to six years.
Tata Steel sports wing will be involved in day-to-day management of the hockey cradle where the astro turf would be laid out courtesy, Tata Trusts.
"The venue is apt for the academy. We will shortly take a decision on whether to dismantle the old residential building inside the complex or refurbish it to provide accommodation to cadets. Other specifics have already been worked out, but this bit remains to be looked into," the official admitted.
Hockey player Sandeep Singh had visited Jamshedpur last year and discussed the academy with Tata Steel. He also visited the ISWP Sports Complex, a source said.
The plan is to induct cadets through selection trials to be conducted in Jamshedpur and other districts of Jharkhand, with focus on Khunti. "Depending upon the progress a cadet makes, his tenure at the academy will be extended to two years. In all, the cadets will train at the cradle for four years," the sports wing official explained.
Tata Trusts, Tata Steel and Bovelander Hockey Academy launched the logo and gear of the cradle during a ceremony in Jamshedpur in March last year. Bovelander, known affectionately as "Boem Boem Bovelander" in his heydays, had held talks with Tata Steel in September 2015 to understand the game's prospects in Jharkhand.
As of now, Tata Trust associate Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives is hosting training camps for over 100 schools in Khunti.
