Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS): A total of 150 players have resumed limited sports activities in Maharashtra in accordance with the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) recent guidelines amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The players, who are above the age of 17, are slowly finding their groove on the field after being away from the pitch for many months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The players and the coaches of the state member unit, who are currently building towards their next domestic tournament - district league matches, are following all the necessary protocols provided to them by Hockey India, stated Hockey India in a release.

"Our players have stayed away from the pitch for a long time and therefore it's fantastic to see them find their feet on the field," said Manoj Bhore, General Secretary, Hockey Maharashtra.

"We are ensuring that all the players and officials are following the guidelines properly. We hope that the players return to their regular form as soon as possible," he added.

Hitesh Jain, President Hockey Maharashtra said, "It's very important for athletes to stay in touch with their sport and therefore we are extremely happy that the players and officials have got the opportunity to slowly and steadily start sports activities in our state."

"I am also delighted to note that while the players were away from the pitch, we continued to build our infrastructure in the last few months. In July, Maharashtra completed the replacement/relaying of a full-size hockey turf at the iconic Balewadi Stadium, Pune, which would help players of Hockey Maharashtra immensely. We hope that the players utilise this opportunity well to develop their game further," he added.