Mumbai hockey caught off-side

The Mumbai Hockey Association Limited turf in Churchgate. File pic

There is no off-side in hockey, but for quite a few years now, Mumbai hockey has been caught off-side.

While there has been no national-level competitive action at the The Mumbai Hockey Association Limited (TMHAL) turf in Churchgate for some time now, there has been plenty of action off it, in courtrooms.

TMHAL, currently headed by Hon President Mangha Singh Bakshi and Hon Secretary Ramsingh Rathore, was founded as the Bombay Provincial Hockey Association Limited on October 2, 1934, and moved to its Churchgate premises sometime in the 1960s. A 30-year lease of the land from the Maharashtra government commenced in 1973 and, less than two decades later, a new artificial turf was laid - the first in Mumbai.

TMHAL conducted numerous local and national tournaments, including franchise competitions such as the Hockey India League and World Series Hockey. However, problems began when the lease on the 196,138-square-foot plot, adjacent to Wankhede Stadium, expired in 2003. TMHAL, registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act - a provision for companies formed for charitable or other socially beneficial purposes rather than distributing profits to members - tried hard to get the lease renewed, but the matter dragged on for years.

Meanwhile, TMHAL's then President Bakshi Dilbagh Singh and Secretary Kehar Singh formed the Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) on November 23, 2005 and registered it under the Society Registration Act and the Maharashtra Public Trust Act. MHA is currently headed by Hon President Vaishali Gosavi and Hon Secretary Ranvir Singh (Kehar's son).

Three years later, in 2008, the lease was renewed, only to be cancelled in 2012, with the state government claiming it would take over the premises. After several legal appeals, a 30-year lease extension finally came through in 2017, running until 2046.

In July 2020, however, the Justice Lodha Panel's recommendation of a ‘One State, One Association' policy, implemented by the Indian Olympic Association, led to further changes. Hockey India, the sport's parent body in the country, cancelled Mumbai's associate membership and recognised Pune-based Hockey Maharashtra as the parent body for the sport in the state. Mumbai's Olympians and former players were up in arms and even wrote to the government to ‘Save Mumbai Hockey'. TMHAL, however, decided not to go to court over the matter, and instead is currently planning to apply for Hockey India's Academy membership. For this, TMHAL has drawn up ambitious plans of a swanky new academy complex featuring a swimming pool, card room, banquet halls and gymnasium, among other facilities, with the hockey ground situated on the roof of the structure, according to documents submitted to the government for approval. Once approved, TMHAL claims the project will take around three years to complete, after which competitive hockey will not only resume but flourish at the venue.

MHA, however, claims the lease came through only because its body ensured registration under the Society Registration Act and Maharashtra Public Trust Act. It therefore believes it, and not TMHAL, should run hockey in the city, and that TMHAL cannot be allowed to construct anything on the venue. MHA is planning legal action, even as TMHAL insists that MHA has no standing and is merely an intruder trying to force its way into the system.

Adding to this mess, Hockey Maharashtra formed two bodies - Hockey Mumbai City (HMC) and Hockey Mumbai Suburbs (HMS) - to run the sport in the city. HMC, led by former India defender Dhananjay Mahadik, even conducted the Mumbai Hockey Super League 2022-23 at the Don Bosco High School (Matunga) turf. Champions Training Center emerged winners, beating Mumbai Customs 2-1 in a thrilling final, and Mumbai's thoroughly deprived hockey aficionados were convinced the sport was back with a bang.

It wasn't.

A lack of funds meant both HMC and HMS have struggled to do much since.

Amid all these power struggles and ego tussles, Mumbai's hockey blues continue to darken, just like the ageing Churchgate turf.

A ground once graced by hockey heroes of yesteryear such as Balbir Singh, Joaquim Carvalho, MM Somaya and Mervyn Fernandes now lies competition-less. It's as though Dhanraj Pillay's lightning runs, Anil Aldrin's sturdy defence, Edgar Mascarenhas's midfield mastery, Gavin Ferreira's crafty passes and Viren Rasquinha's trusted tackles were all in vain.

Mumbai hockey is currently nowhere - just like its alleged administrators.

mid-day's Sports Editor Ashwin Ferro loves to play ball, fair and square, and everywhere.
He tweets @ashwinferro. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.