The Hockey world cup A Wake-Up Call for India

Some weeks back I saw an ad featuring cricket stalwart Virender Sehwag. He was talking about watching some matches (that are to be played in India) – matches in which he wouldn’t be playing; instead, he would be cheering for the Indian team and would wish them all the good luck in the world. Next, I saw Olympic medalist Rajyavardhan Rathore and then damsel Priyanka Chopra, both of them, in their own alluring styles. emphasizing on cheering on the Indian team to glory and beyond. I guess it is clear to you all which Indian team I am talking about. The Indian Hockey team will be participating in the Hockey World Cup 2010, a tournament which will be proudly hosted on Indian soil in March. A couple of quick thoughts here – first, I am sure many of us don’t even know who the captain of the Indian hockey team is! Next, I am also sure that some of us might even have been unaware up until this moment that the Hockey World Cup is being held in India, and that too next month. I, at any rate, certainly didn’t know either of these two things till I saw the above-mentioned promo advertisements. Is that all we have got to offer to our National sport? Now dont tell me you dont even know that hockey is our National sport!!

After watching the ads, I felt that we have a lot to offer to this prestigious sport and we should. What could be an easier or more affordable beginning than to write about the game and help promote it? Now, when I say ‘prestigious sport’, it is in no way a superficial statement. To my surprise, I came to know just minutes ago that India has won a hat-trick of hockey gold medals at the Olympics, twice! They began with Amsterdam in 1928 and followed it up with Los Angeles in 1932 and Berlin in 1936. Post independence, our team won at the 1948 London Olympics, 1952 Helsinki and then the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. What else do you need to rate a sport ‘prestigious’? The scenario presently, however, portrays a picture which is at 180 degrees to our past glory. Since the Melbourne edition, India has managed to bag only 1 gold at the Olympics (1980 Moscow). The journey in the World Cups has been somewhat better, but it will not take long to veer off course if nothing is done now to revive the spirit and talent of the game.

FIH Hero Honda-World Cup

The upcoming Hockey World Cup will be the 12th such edition since its genesis in 1971. Only 5 teams have, till date, managed to win it, with Pakistan winning it a whopping 4 times. India has won it just once and that too way back in 1975. They won the runners-up medal in the 1971 and 1973 World Cups. Since 1975, the country has been desperately hungry for a medal but we Indians have made no effort quench this starvation; and ironically, we all like to boast that we are patriotic people who are infused with Indianness. Admittedly, in the recent past and under the supervision of Mr. KPS Gill, serving President of Indian Hockey Federation, India has managed to beat the odds and has been champion/medalist at events like the Azlan Shah Hockey tournament, the Champions Challenge and the Asia Cup. In a recent press conference held at New Delhi to announce the Hero Honda-sponsored World Cup 2010, Indian Olympics Association president Mr. Suresh Kalmadi was quoted as saying, “The FIH World Cup 2010 will serve as an ideal preparatory platform for the Commonwealth Games, to be held in India in the same year. The tournament will herald an exciting year in Indian sport.” Well, what he said certainly is true. However, since I cannot ask him this question, I am asking you guys – is this all that would herald the coming of age of Indian Sport? Is this all that would help us win medals and achieve fame in sports other than cricket, for our players be at least nationally recognized, if not internationally?

The Government is spending billions to make the CWG a remarkable event. But if you think about it, spending even a hundreth of that amount on promotion of the talent pool we have in various sports could automatically make not just this year’s CWG but many more CWGs to come, remarkable. Even we, the ordinary citizens, can contribute to the revival of our sporting glory, both materialistically and emotionally. We should all try to boost the morale of our Indian team by cheering for them in and out, from the bottom of our hearts. We should make every effort to attend as many matches involving India as we can in this World Cup. It’s not about Cricket or Hockey, it’s not about 8 regional teams (IPL) or 1 national team; its all about how much of an Indian sportizen you are, it’s about how passionately and desperately you want your country to win – it’s about National pride in our National sport. The reason I brought the IPL into this conversation is to ask this simple question – when we can afford to watch foreigners playing for our regional teams, on our own soil, how can we not afford to watch our own homegrown players putting in the hard yards for us? It a basic courtesy call guys. Come on, gear up and get ready to cheer for the Indian Hockey Team!

Edited by Musab Abid