Gachibowli Hockey Stadium receives a facelift ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers

At the far end of the Gachibowli Sports Complex stands the hockey arena, once a proud venue that saw the Dilip Tirkey-led Hyderabad Sultans clinch the Premier Hockey League title in 2005 as well as a few national camps.

In recent years, however, the stadium had fallen into neglect, with hockey largely fading from the city’s sporting imagination. The situation has changed now.

With Hyderabad hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, the stadium has undergone a major transformation. The old, uneven surface has been replaced with bright blue astro turf sourced from Portugal, while the adjacent practice field has also received similar upgrades to provide world-class conditions for training.

“When we conducted the sub-junior women’s National championship (in 2024), they [Hockey India] saw our potential. After that, they decided to bring an international championship here,” A. Sonibala Devi, vice-chairperson and managing director of the Sports Authority of Telangana, told The Hindu.

Hyderabad has not had the chance to host a major international hockey event since it held the Afro-Asian Games in 2003.

“Since then, we haven’t had anything of that scale. The government undertook the renovation work, and the new astro turf we’ve laid is of the highest quality. It is called WETT Pro, which also reduces water usage compared to traditional pitches.”

Upgrades extend beyond the pitch. New floodlights illuminate the stadium, the main building has been renovated, seating has been improved and temporary stands have been installed to meet anticipated demand.

All of this has come at a considerable cost.

“For infrastructure, we have estimated the cost to be roughly ₹14 crore. More than half of it was for the astro turfs. Besides that, the government has sanctioned ₹18 crore for the smooth conduct of the event.”

Hockey India has been closely involved throughout, even sending technical officials to help scout talent during the second edition of the CM’s Cup. The State government has also received approval to establish an international-level hockey academy at the complex.

With the stadium now ready to host world-class hockey, Sonibala Devi hopes Hyderabad will join the ranks of established hockey hubs like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Ranchi, and Chennai.

“That is the plan, exactly. In the future, we aim to host more international matches. Even leagues are in the pipeline,” she admitted.