Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao Presents Hockey Kits to Players Selected for Performance Assessment at National Centre of Excellence

Raipur, January 2026 :Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare, Mr Arun Sao, presented hockey kits to players selected for performance assessment at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The kits were handed over on Friday at his official residence office in Nava Raipur.

Goalkeeper Alfaz Khan was given a complete goalkeeping kit, while forward players Madhu Sidar and Damini Khusro were presented with hockey sticks. All three players have been undergoing hockey training for the past three years at the Late B.R. Yadav State Training Centre, Bahtarai, in Bilaspur.

Congratulating the players on their selection for the SAI performance assessment camp, Mr Sao expressed happiness over their achievement and wished them a bright future and strong performances ahead. Currently, 67 players are receiving hockey training at the residential training centre in Bahtarai, which has been operated by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department since June 2022. With the support of the state government and dedicated coaches, the centre has been consistently producing players of international calibre.

Assistant Director of the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Mr A. Ekka, and senior hockey coach at the State Training Centre, Bahtarai, Mr Rakesh Toppo, were also present during the distribution of the hockey kits.

Raipur-based Alfaz Khan recently participated in a performance assessment camp held from December 12 to December 19 at the National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where Indian hockey coach Mr P.R. Sreejesh evaluated players from across the country. Madhu Sidar from Jashpur and Damini Khusro from Bodla (Kabirdham) are scheduled to take part in another performance assessment camp to be held from January 16 to January 23 this month.

All three players had delivered outstanding performances at the 15th Hockey India Junior National Championship, on the basis of which they were selected for the national-level performance assessment camp. Damini Khusro and Madhu Sidar were also members of the winning team at the West Zone Hockey Championship held last year, where Madhu Sidar emerged as the top scorer with the highest number of goals.