New Delhi, Feb 24 : Former captain and current Hockey India chief Dilip Tirkey has reiterated the importance of the national championships in preparing young athletes by saying "grassroots development is essential for any sport to flourish." In an episode of Hockey Te Charcha, a veteran of over 400 matches and the first hockey player in the history of the sport to be elected as President of the governing body, Tirkey discussed the roadmap ahead in order to build and nourish a well-structured grassroots system by providing various competitive platforms for young players to hone and develop their skill sets.   "For any sport to thrive, grassroots development is vital. A strong foundation results in good players and a strong Senior and Junior national teams. In the past, athletes in the Sub Juniors (U-17) and Juniors (U-19) categories haven't had enough game time. We are going to rectify that by introducing a zonal system, where they will play Intra Zone and Inter Zone competitions," Tirkey said. "Pragmatically, not everybody will play for India, but this setup will at least allow players to take pride in representing their respective zones and give them a feel of a competitive atmosphere at an early age," he added. Hockey India President also mentioned that the new system is not only beneficial for the athletes but will also help the selection committees and the administration immensely. "We are trying to build a pipeline of talent. From each Zone we could potentially have a pool of around 50 players. At any given time, we should be aware of what level our Sub Junior or Junior athletes are at and therefore we can accordingly give them the resources they need," he said. In order to increase the talent pool and nourish them, Hockey India is introducing special training programmes, which includes involving former international players, for athletes and coaches to familiarise them with the necessary training and nutritional requirements to perform better. "The game of Hockey is rapidly evolving, based on the level of competition we see at the Zonals or the Nationals, we can accordingly provide training modules, such as a drag-flicking program or even a goalkeeping program involving former international players who can lead these clinics. Focusing on the individual development is very important and that is also why we are emphasizing on residential facilities for younger athletes rather than a simple academy-based model. This will enable them to familiarise themselves with the necessary training and nutritional requirements in order to perform optimally," he said. The Hockey India chief spoke about establishing a U-17 National team and a U-19 National team to complement the current U-21 setup. Furthermore, at the upcoming National Championship, which is to be held in Odisha, in April, players can expect to operate under a world-class setup, with matches played under floodlights. "Once we give our junior athletes the responsibility and experience, by simulating high-level competition from a young age, they will find it easier to cope with the challenges that accompany playing for India at an international level. By adding the U17 and U19 National teams, we can also give our athletes benchmarks that they can aspire to and work towards," Tirkey said. The 45-year old also reemphasized the importance of grassroots and said that reviving interest in domestic competition is an important part of growing the sport. "We have kept this in mind, and have introduced the live streaming of matches this year onwards. We have also ensured the National Championships have the same standard as any international match that is hosted by us. This will enhance the experience of players taking part in the tournament," Tirkey said. "This is all a collective effort by Hockey India staff and moving forward we also want to introduce the video referral system so that players get used to this at a young age itself," he concluded. /IANS