PANAJI
The format of the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2026 has come in for criticism from parents, coaches and hockey administrators in the state for not taking into account the ongoing Grade 10 exams which ended here on Tuesday.
With six of its players answering the exams, Goans Hockey were forced to take the extraordinary step of asking the selected players to buy their own air tickets or arrange funds for the air travel and reach the venue in time for today’s match.
Sources informed that 12 players along with officials went by train and are already in Bihar and will be joined by two outstation players besides the six players who took the flight to Bihar on Tuesday immediately after finishing their SSCE board exams.
Six players took the flight from Mopa to Bengaluru and from there on to Bihar.
The players, who are studying in St Anthony High School, Monte de Guirim, Janata High School Mapusa and Fr Agnel, Pilar, are travelling by air for the first time for a hockey tournament.
The players were not accompanied by any guardian and will have to make a three-hour bus journey or car journey from the airport to the tournament destination Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar.
The Goans Hockey Secretary Farrel Furtado e Gracias on their part had sounded the six players via a letter sent on March 23 to the three schools saying that the students from the respective institutions have been selected to participate in the U-16 Sub-Junior National Championship 2026 taking place from 1 to 10 April at Rajgir, Bihar.
“We kindly request you to grant permission and relieve the selected players from their academic duties during the above-mentioned period so that they may represent and participate in this prestigious national-level event,” stated the letter.
“We assure you that all necessary arrangements for their travel, accommodation, and safety will be taken care, participation in such events provides valuable exposure and contributes significantly to the overall development of the students. We request your cooperation and support in allowing the students to take part in this championship,” she added in the letter.
Sources informed no students from South Goa including Loyola High School, Margao and Damodar English High School, Gudi Paroda are part of the team and also no students from Honda High School, Honda-Sattari are part of the team.
