During a visit to India this week, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra and CEO Jason McCracken met with the Indian Government and Hockey India to discuss the development of the sport in the country.
Meeting with India's Minister of Finance, Mr Arun Jaitley, the Government shared their plans to support the game from grassroots to international level through Hockey India.
One of the key topics of discussion was support for upcoming FIH events in India, including the Men's Odisha Hockey World League Final 2017 taking place in December and the Men's Odisha Hockey World Cup 2018 next November/December, both taking place in the city of Bhubaneswar.
Investment in hockey facilities was high on the agenda, with venues and training centres crucial to growing the sport at all levels. It was also an opportunity to showcase India's drive to enhance gender parity across the sport in-line with hockey's reputation of being 'Equally Amazing'. India's development now sees proportionate investment in the men's and women's game, both in their domestic and international programmes.
Speaking about these meetings, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: "Our discussions with the Indian Government and Hockey India were extremely constructive. Whilst hockey remains one of the most popular sports in the country, it is important to continue building on the solid foundations they have established in terms of their development programmes and infrastructure."
He continued: "Their commitment to deliver world class events for FIH over the coming years is very encouraging, whilst it's also refreshing to see their investment plans for the women's and men's game. Such support aligns with our 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy which aims to make hockey a global game that inspires the next generation."
For more information about hockey in India, click here.
Photo (L-R):Hockey India CEO Elena Norman; FIH CEO Jason McCracken; India's Minister of Finance, Mr Arun Jaitley; FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra.
