Hockey India inducts Vidarbha Hockey Association into its fold

New Delhi: Hockey India has inducted Vidarbha Hockey Association as an associate member.

HI now has 12 associate members, with 29 affiliated members and two other State Olympic Association members.

With this inclusion, Vidarbha Hockey Association can take part in all the National Championships to be conducted by HI in future.

"I welcome Vidarbha Hockey Association for their entry into Hockey India as an associate member. Vidharba Hockey Association who have their own grounds, needs to make best use of their facilities and produce more and more players. Hockey India will give its full support to Vidarbha Hockey Association for the development of the sport in their areas," HI secretary general Narinder Batra said in a statement.

"I am hopeful that Vidarbha Hockey Association will put in its best efforts to promote the game at grass-root level by organising more and more tournaments in Nagpur and nearby areas," he said.

Vidarbha Hockey Association has produced some good umpires in the recent past.

BC Bhartia is the president while Vinod Gavai is the secretary general of Vidarbha Hockey Association.