Former Indian Hockey captain Bharat Chhetri plans to start Hockey Academy

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 28 December 2022: Former captain of Indian hockey team, Bharat Chhetri has planned to start a Hockey academy in Kalimpong.

Kalimpong District Police joined hands with the former Hockey captain in this initiative and organised a five sided hockey tournament named Hockey Festival at Mela Ground in Kalimpong. On the occasion former captain of Indian hockey team and famous players Dhanraj Pillai, Khanjum Singh, ace football players Shyam Thapa, Nadong Bhutia, Bhaichung Bhutia and Indian women's international footballer Anju Tamang were present.

Bharat kumar Chhetri, was the goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team who also an olympiad. He was first appointed the captain of the Indian national team in October 2011 for the four-nation Super Series and an international tournament in Australia. He was the captain of the 18-member Indian squad at the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, which won the bronze medal. Chettri led the 16-member Indian hockey squad in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

He was awarded the Dhyan Chand Award for Hockey in 2018. Dhyan Chand Award is the national sports award which is bestowed to the sportsperson for life time contribution on the development of sports.

He left playing and had served as assistant coach of the Indian men's and women's hockey teams in recent years.

He says that after he decided to quit the sport, he saw coaching as an opportunity to fulfil his dreams through young players who can achieve so much more for the country. He is a FIH Academy - Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway Level '1' Certified Coach.

Chhetri hails from Kalimpong. He stated that the hill boys and girls have the capability and physical structure including stamina suitable for playing hockey. They have good footwork and are good football players and hockey too needs the same good footwork. And if they practice well and get systematic training they can play for national and international tournaments.

On the other hand, Dhanraj Pillai expressed his appreciation for Bharat Chhetri's initiative and said that players like Bharat Chhetri can be born from the hills in the coming days.