Shimla: Hockey players in Himachal Pradesh have resumed sports activities keeping in mind the detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and guidelines provided by Hockey India.
The detailed SOP and guidelines were shared with all the state member units as early as April 2020 with the intent of having them well-prepared and ready for systematic rollout.
Around 60 players have resumed limited activities in Himachal Pradesh. The players, who have begun activities, are between the age of 18 and 21. The Himachal Pradesh hockey unit is planning to organise a state championship soon.
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The state member units got a general idea about the key aspects while resuming activities during a session with chief coaches of the national teams and experienced national players, P.R. Sreejesh and Savita in September.
The chief coaches and players spoke about their first-hand experience of how the national camp coaches and players are following the protocol at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru since restarting sports activities on August 19.
"Receiving a detailed SOP and guidelines from Hockey India was the key factor in restarting sports activities in Himachal Pradesh. Our players and officials are absolutely thrilled to be back on the pitch. We are ensuring everyone is following the protocol properly and not exerting too much on the field as well. It's very important for the players to start slowly and steadily increase the intensity of their sports activities sessions everyday," stated Romesh Pathania, General Secretary, Hockey Himachal.
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