Newly-elected Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Sunday said one of his priorities will be to promote hockey at the grassroots level by setting up more artificial turfs in states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
His immediate priority though is the men's World Cup to be held in Odisha in January next year. "States like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and cities like Mumbai and Bhopal are crucial.
I will go to these places and look to develop the game from the grassroots level. We need more artificial turfs in these places to groom talent," Tirkey said.
On his election as head of Indian hockey, Tirkey said, "As a player, I worked hard and represented the country in the Olympics and other major international tournaments.