Gurgaon to get international standard astroturf

Chandigarh, Jan 4 (UNI) The Haryana government has decided to set up an international standard astroturf at Gurgaon with a cost of Rs nine crore.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced this here today while interacting with the Junior Indian Hockey players at his residence at a breakfast meeting.

The Chief Minister said the state government would provide maximum facilities to the hockey players of the state so that they could brought laurel to the state and the country.

Mr Hooda complimented the hockey players and hoped that they would win in the ensuing Eighth National Invitational Tournament to be held at Malaysia from January 17 to 27.

The Chief Minister also hoped that the Junior Indian Hockey Team would also won in the ensuing Junior Hockey World Cup to be held in 2009 at Malaysia in Kuallalumpur and would brought laurel to the country.

He said the Haryana government had provided a number of facilities to the players to encourage them. The diet money of the players had been doubled besides outstanding sportspersons were being recruited in the Haryana Police.

The Junior Indian Hockey Team presented a signed hockey stick to the Chief Minister.

Haryana Hockey Association President and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister M L Tayal said the state government had setup nurseries to groom the budding players of the state.

Junior Indian Hockey Team Chief Coach Ajay Kumar Bansal who hails from Haryana, said total 37 players participated in a camp and out of this 18 players had been selected for the ensuing hockey tournament which would be like a Mini World Cup in which eight countries namely India, Pakistan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Holland and Germany were participating.

UNI PS RKM HT1702