Temple bar: Kovilpatti players compete in national level hockey tournaments. The game of hockey in Kovilpatti started in the 1920s and has been the favorite sport of the youth over the centuries. Jagan, Radhakrishnan, Ramasamy and Ashwin from Kovilpatti have played for the Indian team.
The Dakshami Plant hockey team has played not only in India but also in countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka and France. Players from Kovilpatti such as Senthur Pandian, Anthony, Irulandi, Jayaraman, Jyoti, Dhanraj, Karuppasamy, Navaneethakrishnan etc. have gone to Germany and France as special invitee players.
Players from Kovilpatti in Junior, Sub-Junior and Senior categories in last 2 years Nishi Deva
43 players including Arul, Thilipan, Mariswaran, Aravind, Manimozhi, Mummanja, Babila, Murugeswari among the players have played for the Tamil Nadu team. Among them, Mariswaran has got a job in the Income Tax Department of the Central Government.
Thirteen of the 18 players who participated in the Tamil Nadu team in the National Sub-Junior Men’s Hockey Tournament held in Odisha last May were Koilpatti players. Ashwin, a former Indian hockey player from Kovilpatti, acted as the manager of the team.
J. Arun and M. Sundar Ajith from Kovilpatti, who played well in the tournament, have been selected for the training camp of the Indian sub-junior hockey team. They will attend the training camp in Odisha from August 19.
Employment for 500 people: In this regard, Tuticorin District Hockey Association Secretary C. Kurusitra Sanmukha Bharti says, “Doctor Durairaj is the father of Kovilpatti hockey. He was the one who arranged for Kovilpatti players to go abroad to play.
Major Dayan Chand, who is known as the father of world hockey, was born in 1952 at Kovilpatti V.U.C. Participated in summer hockey special training camp at government school ground and coached the players. There has been an upheaval among the students due to the Asian Hockey Tournament being held in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu has so far more than 2,000 players playing hockey at the National and All India University level. More than 500 players have got employment in central and state governments through the game of hockey. At present only Tamil Nadu Police is giving importance to sports department.
As a result, hockey players are joining police assistant inspectors and police officers more and more. Other fields should also be given importance. Through this, more young hockey players will come,” he said.
