FINALLY, there is some activity happening at Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) ground, though off the field. The efforts of VHA Administrator Shiv Chhatrapati Award winner Triloki Nath Sidhra and his bunch of supporters have bore fruits. In a few months’ time, the VHA ground will be illuminated with bright lights and players could be seen playing hockey in the evening and night. The association got a shot in the arm when Member of Parliament Nitin Gadkari sanctioned around Rs 22 lakh from his MP fund for construction of floodlights at VHA last month. With Gadkari taking personal interest and Sidhra, Sanjay Lokhande continuously taking follow-up, the project finally got rolling a few days back. “We had approached Gadkari earlier this year for floodlights at VHA and he promised to help the association. The work started after tender process last month. Lokhande did the follow-up process which helped us in getting the work started,” Sidhra told ‘The Hitavada’ on Friday.

 

Around 50-feet high tower will be erected around the ground. The work of laying the underground cable has already started. The work was hampered due to unseasonal rains in the last couple of days. But on Friday, as the sun peeped out of the clouds, the workers wasted no time in re-starting their job. The bhoomipujan of the work was done recently at the hands of one of the budding hockey players. The ground will see more development in coming days. “We have also sought help for construction of a hall and waiting rooms for girls at the far end of the ground. That work will start soon after the model code of conduct ends. We are getting support from MLAs of Nagpur for this work,” informed Sidhra, who is also fighting a legal battle with Hockey India for getting VHA re-affiliated with the hockey governing body of the country.