Sports dept to organise parent-coach meets

Bhopal: The sports department has decided to organize parent-coach meets on the lines of parent-teacher meeting after the death of four junior national-level hockey players in a road accident earlier this week. The department also issued an advisory to the coaches about the safety of the players on Wednesday.

Director SL Thaosen has made it clear that coaches must ensure that their players are safe under them, while participating in tournaments.

Thaosen said coaches have been asked to set examples to their players by strictly adhering to safety measures. “Coaches have been asked to wear helmets and seatbelts while driving vehicles. They have to first make proper changes in themselves so that their players could follow them,” he said.

Thaosen has also asked the coaches to create an atmosphere of commitment. “Coaches have been asked to follow the movement of their players when they are playing outside through WhatsApp. They are the guardian of the players outside their homes,” he said.

Expressing his disappointment over players being allowed to leave the team without keeping a track on them, Thaosen said, “Celebrating birthdays are very normal even if you are outside town and playing in tournaments. But, there is a protocol that needs to be followed.Players would be allowed to move out from the team only when their respective parents give it in writing”.

Notably, four teenaged national-level players were killed in an accident in Hoshangabad on October 14 while on their way to play in the semi-final of All India Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Tournament. Three others are seriously injured and one of them is on ventilator.

Victim Aadarsh Hardua of Itarsi had turned 17 on October 13 and the group had gone to his hometown to celebrate his birthday. Aadarsh, 16-year-olds Shahnawaz Khan of Indore and Ashish Lal of Jabalpur, and Aniket Varun, (18), of Gwalior, died, while Shaun Gladwin, (22), Akshay Awasthi, (18), and Sahil Chaure, (19), were admitted to a private hospital in Hoshangabad.

Akshay, who is on ventilator, has been in the Indian hockey team for two years. All those killed were MP Hockey Academy players and had several national tournaments under their belt.

The tournament was cancelled after the tragedy as team members said they were in a state of shock, the organisers said. The semi-finals and final were scheduled in Hoshangabad on Monday, and that is where the group was headed after spending the night at Shaun’s house in Itarsi.

All seven of them were travelling on a Swift Dzire owned by Shaun’s mother. With him on the wheels, they set off on the 18kilometre trip to Hoshangabad around 6.30am. Their semi-final was due to start in an hour.