Indian Hockey - The diminishing edge

Well, to be honest, no other sport is followed in India as much as cricket owing to the thrill and the ever changing equations. After cricket, football is the second most preferred sport, owing to its simplicity and passionate following in Bengal, Goa, North-East and in South India.

Sadly, the sport which is our national treasure has lost its charm and sheen over the years. Yes, I am referring to hockey. The reason is not just the drastic fall in the standards of Indian hockey, but also the conversion of hockey into the power game by the Europeans. This has been done primarily for their own vested interests – a fast paced game on artificial turfs is suitable to their well-built players.

The game has changed so much that the Asian teams, who used to be among the prime contenders for any given tournament, are now not even consulted while affecting changes in rules!

Unlike the ever powerful BCCI dictating terms worldwide, the hockey federations are there just for namesake and just to misuse their powers. Nothing concrete has been done in the last few decades, as a result of which Indian hockey has not achieved anything remarkable. Winning the Commonwealth Games or picking up a couple of trophies here and there do not really serve the larger purpose.

Several modest measures have been put forward for the promotion of the game, ranging from holding of leagues to auction of players, big prize money and promoting club culture. But again, the outcome is not worth mentioning. If one asks me the reasons behind the decline in Indian hockey, I would point towards the non availability of astro turfs, minimal coverage of hockey by the media, weak infrastructure and a lack of commitment. These are surely the major causes for the pathetic situation of Indian hockey. But by and large, one word is self explanatory – inconsistency. This is despite the fact that there is no dearth of public support.

Even in the ongoing World Hockey League, the team has been very well supported in the stadium. Delhi crowds have come out whole heartedly to make sure that home advantage counts. But still, the team has lacked the zeal. It is not right to talk about individual matches, but people will say that India’s performance today was good. But, the hardcore fact remains that India did not manage a single win in the entire tournament. So, what are the key reasons which have led to the steep fall in standards of Indian hockey?

To begin with, the dispute between the federations has literally killed the game. Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation have been fighting their own battles rather than concentrating on the team. Lack of sufficient training camps and facilities has also hampered the growth of this game. Constant changing of players has not helped either – players like Sandeep Singh and Jugraj Singh have been selected for crucial tournaments, but at other times they have been dropped at the whims of the administrators.

Lack of exposure in cold weather conditions like Netherlands and Germany has not helped, young players need much more experience of alien conditions. Last, but not the least, money has been a major problem. Many times, issues regarding late payments to the players have surfaced. This is not at all a positive development.

It is high time that all concerned should sit together and chalk out a strategy to save Indian hockey; a lot of love still exists among the people for this great game!