So the dates for World Series Hockey have finally been rescheduled. Once again, the authorities at the helm have succeeded with their arm-twisting tactics. Once again, the players have been left in the lurch on the pretext of country versus club. And once again, the authorities have shown no regard for the welfare of the sport they had promised to take to new heights after the Indian Hockey Federation, then the controlling body of our national game, was dismantled when India failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Sad indeed!
But that is the irony of sport in India. Here, the people in power are more interested in feathering their own nests than in the well-being of sportspersons. The hunger for power takes precedence over the welfare of sport. How else can one explain the nuisance being created in our national game on the pretext of country versus club?
Speaking on the postponement, IHF president RK Shetty said: “We are extremely saddened by the intimidation tactics employed by Hockey India to try to deprive Indian hockey players of an opportunity to earn a living from the sport. As everyone is well aware, the original schedule for WSH was drawn up on the basis that the national preparatory camp for the Olympic qualifiers was to start on January 24. This date was communicated in writing by HI officials to players as far back as March this year. Unfortunately, HI chose to reschedule the camp to December 11, with the obvious intention of disturbing the players and their preparations for WSH. This rescheduling was done after the WSH dates had been announced. The intimidation tactics being used by HI are shameful and it is a pity that our players have had to be put through this. With the express intent of protecting our national players from further harassment by HI, the IHF has requested WSH to take the high ground and adjust its dates.”
The public and the players have a simple question for the authorities concerned: did anybody ever say that club should take precedence over national colours? Was the WSH schedule clashing with the Olympic qualifiers? Is such a long camp before the Olympic qualifiers necessary?
The answer is an absolute no. If experts are to be believed, long camps serve no purpose; otherwise Indian hockey would not be in the state it is in today. So why deprive the players of the money and a month of fame in this otherwise cricket-crazy nation? Everybody who knows the game and its administrators knows the answer.
It was never a question of country versus club, as the people in power and their so-called well-wishers have been claiming in order to play on the emotions of the whole nation. It was always a clash between the Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India.
India is known for failing to cash in on opportunities that come its way, even when they are served on a platter, and the postponement of WSH is a perfect example. It has long been alleged that HI, the apex body of Indian hockey, has been using pressure tactics to sabotage WSH. WSH was a concept that promised to change the course of Indian hockey and take it to new heights. It gained immense popularity, and because it was the idea of the rival faction, the Indian Hockey Federation, it certainly did not go down well with HI.
“When the camp was scheduled to start after January 24, how was it brought forward at such short notice? And talking about practice, is there any practice better than match practice?” said a player who did not wish to be named.
WSH would have done a world of good for hockey in India and had the potential to increase the game’s popularity. It would have made the whole of India talk about the national game for a whole month. It would have raised the standard of hockey in India by giving Indian players, young and old, an opportunity to rub shoulders with the world’s best. Most importantly, it would have given the players money unheard of in the game, which would have been a great motivation for upcoming players. But it was not to be.
Star Indian player Dhanraj Pillay lashed out at Hockey India over the whole confusion. “I have no idea what is happening with Hockey India. If the players are getting paid 15–30 lakh for playing in WSH, then what is their problem, because they never gave anyone that kind of money. When India won the Asian Champions Trophy, they gave the players only Rs 25,000. If Neo Sports and the IHF are organising one of the richest events in the game, what is wrong with that? Players should take a stand. If someone is trying to do something good for them, they should back it fully. It is pure pressure tactics applied by HI to sabotage this mega event,” said Dhanraj, who is the captain of the Karnataka franchise, Karnataka Lions.
Postponing an event that the whole world was talking about is a step backwards. The players who wear the Indian colours may cope with the loss to their finances, taking pride in playing for the nation, but who will account for the loss of money and time to the more than 100 players who had set aside the next month for the event? Players who had booked their days for this month-long event will surely be wary of making further commitments, as nobody knows what the authorities have in store after the Olympic qualifiers.
Can anyone guarantee that there will be no further obstacles from Hockey India? And who can guarantee that sponsors and other stakeholders will not pull out after seeing such turmoil around the event? The game that India ruled for decades has no takers in Hockey India and the FIH.
It is not as if there has been a truce between HI and the IHF, or that the postponement came after consultation between the warring factions. HI is still opposed to the event, which is not its baby, and who knows what cards it intends to play to deter aspiring players who wish to play for the country once the Olympic qualifiers are over.
In this fight for supremacy, one thing has become clear: whichever side emerges victorious, the players will suffer. The time has come for these warring bodies to do some serious introspection and think about the interests of the players rather than their own.
The clash between the two hockey factions is a reminder of the hostility between the ICL and the BCCI. But the BCCI’s actions were justified by the creation of the IPL, which has grown with each passing year in money and popularity and has made Indian cricketers the most sought-after people in the country, unlike hockey players.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News
