MUMBAI, 15 March 2008 — The blame game will probably never end until the whole sorry episode, the saddest in the annals of Indian sport dies a natural death for want of care. The tragedy will be passé soon.
To those who have followed Indian hockey closely, the hurt shall continue in that a nation that had ruled world hockey for almost half-a-century and then survived the severest tests with the changing times and environs of the game, should be completely out of the picture of Olympic hockey for the first time in 80 years.
From its very first participation at Amsterdam in 1928, India virtually taught the game to the rest of the world as it went on to win the Olympic gold six times in a row.
Came the first shock in 1960 at Rome when new a emerging force but a part of erstwhile Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, ended the long reign. The first signs of mourning, however, did not last long, as at the very next Olympiad at Tokyo, India had regained the top spot. There was no doubt, however, in anyone’s mind that the Asian giants were shaken as Europe and Australia went from “also rans” to new masters of the game.
India’s only gold-medal-winning feat came again in 1980. But that victory at Moscow was bereft of any glory, as the only team of any consequence that India had to beat was Spain, what with Pakistan, Germany, and The Netherlands staying away, owing to a large-scale boycott of the Games.
The only other success to come India’s way before Moscow was the stupendous triumph in the1975 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur. Indian hockey thereafter was far off the gold standard. Every four years new hopes emerged, but each time, they died as soon as they rose. But there was no missing the Olympics for sure. Now, even that is gone.
Contradictory statements are emerging each day from those who had everything to do with the game as well as those who looked upon as mere spectators. But no one seems to put the finger on the right pulse.
It is not just now, when the worst has happened, but for a long time it has been that the game’s administration has come under constant fire. The president of the Indian Hockey Federation, Kunwar Pritam Singh Gill has moved into his 15th year in office and is just refusing to quit despite all-round pressure.
It is his dictatorial attitude that has brought the game to its present low standard in the country. The moment some prominent person in the team, the coach or the captain, shows even the slightest dissent of opinion, he is unceremoniously sacked. In the last 12 years, the Indian team has had 15 different coaches, at the rate of almost one coach for one international tournament.
How Gill has destroyed winning combinations was first seen when Pargat Singh was dropped as captain and player after the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona. Worse was to follow in 1998, when India won the Asian Games hockey gold after a lapse of 32 years. Six players, led by the captain Dhanraj Pillay, had attended a felicitation function at Mumbai. All six were dropped from future Indian teams.
Dhanraj Pillay then was rated by the international federation as the most skillful player in the world and commanded high respect of the leading players all over.
Only recently, after India had won the Asia Cup, drastic changes were made in the team and deserving players who had done so well were axed without any rhyme or reason. What were the selectors doing, one may ask. But presently in Indian hockey, there is no such committee with any powers. Just one man, the IHF president, and his henchmen decide everything.
Even the world federation’s Vision India, a well-planned hockey revival project was given a go by Gill. The FIH-appointed expert Australian Olympian Rick Charlesworth was made to feel unwanted and he returned home a sad man.
Is there still hope for Indian hockey after all that has happened ? Haven’t we already paid a high price for one man’s ego ? The answer to these questions will only come when there is a nationwide awakening that India’s greatest pride in the world of sports has been lost just because we did not care. No purpose will be served by merely singing “Chak De, India.” We have to actually chuck out the men who have destroyed Indian hockey.
