It is very usual with Indian Hockey to make news for the wrong reasons. And all these started with the 2008 Beijing Olympics where India was not able to qualify for it. It changed a lot of things in Indian Hockey. India failed to qualify for Olympics for the first time and saw them lose out on their most coveted legacy. The federation changed, hockey hit all time low and many more embarrassment followed.
Four years later India has got the chance to undo what happened to them in Chile. This time around they are playing in the conditions that are known to them; this time around they are playing in a stadium which is named after the man -- Dhyanchand who taught the world how this game is played.
India is the highest ranked team in the qualifiers and has had a good run coming into the tournament. Every hockey player who will take the field will have this in the back of his mind that he has the opportunity to change the stature of this game in the country which no more wants to see players with a hockey stick rather they will sit for an entire day to watch players with cricket bats.
In the last three decades, Indian hockey has lost the connection that it once had and people now have more reasons to criticize the most loved game than to like it and without fail they are doing it.
The stage is set for the Indian team to rise from the ashes and bring India the ultimate glory or at least to take us there. The players have had enough opportunities; know it’s time for them to deliver. Going by what we have seen in the recent past India should cruise to London.
It is a known fact that even if India qualifies for the Olympics, it will not make it the number one sport in India. It’s always going to be Cricket. But, by qualifying Indian hockey can ensure that they will not lose any more fans and will earn a bit of lost respect. By qualifying Team India can give the reason to the spectators to respect them again and take their game seriously. And maybe the auto drivers will once in a while discuss Indian hockey with their commuters and not how the cricket team lost again.
By Gaurav Jha
