The tournament will be held at Mayor Radhakrishnan hockey stadium in Egmore
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

At the Mayor Radhakrishnan hockey stadium in Egmore, behind the pavilion on the eastern side, a warmup pitch (a green coloured astro turf patch) stands as a silent witness to the vicissitudes of life. It was the go-to space for teams with star billing to get fighting fit ahead of a major match in the cardinal space.

This pitch was edged out of importance when it was supplanted by a new mini pitch (a blue coloured astro turf).

But the slighted green-coloured warmup pitch still has something to bask in — a steady stream of attention from one quarter, Madras Veterans Hockey Club (MVHC) and similar groups that do not have a regular ground. These groups including MVHC make use of this warmup pitch for a nominal fee.

Every Saturday, this group assembles at this warmup pitch — provided it had not been taken by any other group — for some stick-twirling, its members trudging in from localities that together represent Chennai.

Thomas Nathan, the founder of MVHC and a resident of Madhavaram, says: “We can play for a maximum of one and a half hours; beyond that, it gets tiresome. We can hire the warmup pitch for a reasonable ₹275.” And what these hockey enthusiasts get out of the experience is immeasurable. It provides them with unbroken link with the past when they players wearing the colours of popular teams. There are big names in their midst — the one that springs straightaway to mind is Mohammed Riaz, former captain of the Indian hockey team. Riaz is part of MVHC but is unable to spare time for the Saturday outing at the old warmup pitch due to work commitments.

“We had 25 people, but the number of regulars has dwindled to 15-20; that is because the younger lot among us have a demanding work schedule,” says Thomas Nathan, aged 70.

In contrast, on the Saturday of March 22, 2025 (between 5 p.m. and 9.30 p.m), MVHC is expected to turn out at the old warmup pitch in near-full attendance, if not 100 p.c. attendance, as they are having their annual club tournament, where they would play among themselves for the top honour.