Though hockey has fallen into the vortex of corruption and petty politics, there is always a glimmer of hope emanating for our national game from one corner of the country or the other. Visit the Central Secretariat Ground at Vinag Marg on Sunday morning and your perception about people's diminishing interest in the national game would vanish for a moment. Seeing some 60-year-old wielding sticks with six-year-olds is indeed a pleasant sight and a clear indication that the love for the game continues and the only thing needed to uplift it is a strong will power from the authorities at helm.
Age is no bar for the members of Faith Hockey Club and neither are caste, creed, colour and status. The club, which has been in operation for the last 10 years has over 70 players in the age group of 4 – 70 and is completely driven by passion. Yes, you have read it correct. This club has players ranging from toddlers to grandfathers and the brain behind this club is a custom officer Mahesh Dayal. Mahesh, who has been a former Delhi hockey captain, is the mentor-cum-coach of the club.
Integration is the USP of this club. Players who differ in their age vastly also differ in their social status, ranging from a peon’s son to a business man and an IAS officer. In spite of the vast difference in age and status these guys gel perfectly and share extremely good chemistry. “It is the nature of players to maintain a perfect harmony among themselves irrespective of caste, creed, status and religion. By god’s grace my club has not faced any sort of problem in this regard. The reason behind the bond that my players share is due to their passion for the game. All the players have a good temperament and go by the ethics of a sportperson,” said Mahesh.
If someone sees the club practising, they would think them to be a bunch of nomads, as at any time, a team has 20 odds players in their side. But if observed carefully, one can see the sentiments these players have for the game. It is so pure. These players have adopted hockey as their religion and have complete faith in it, complimenting perfectly to the name of their club.
And to join the Faith Club, one does not require money. All that is required is the love for the game. Kits for the underprivileged players are provided by the club and all the necessary facilities are provided to the players free of cost. The players have to only bother about their performance and nothing else.
Mahesh who has been taking care of the club’s financial responsibility along with some of the patrons since its inception has no regrets whatsoever. “I have no regrets for spending money for the development of the game. Wherever I stand today is because of hockey. My job, my status is all because of this wonderful game. So, it’s my turn to pay the game back. And I guess I have been somewhat successful in doing so. And I also get ample support from my friends whenever I am I need. So that is perfectly alright.”
The Club does not take help from anybody and everybody. If one wants to become a patron of the club, he has to have a genuine love for the game. Mahesh does not allow people helping his club and use it as a publicity tool. “I discourage people who want to help by club for mere publicity. Even if they give me money which is enough for sustenance of my club for 5-6 years, I do not accept it. I want to keep my students clean and teach them the art of playing hockey and not the art of making money. Once a player becomes money-minded, the whole sanctity of the game is lost” said the former Delhi hockey captain.
The club has very well known patrons like Ashok Kumar, who is the son of hockey legend Maj. Dhyan Chand, acts as the president of the club. S.D Sharma. Chief Election Commissioner of Jharkhand, is another such patron. “Participation from these kinds of glorified personalities boosts my morale and gives me the confidence required to run the club,” he added.
It’s interesting to know that the club still follows the traditional form of hockey and does not allow its players to play the European style. They play artistic hockey, which was started by likes of Dhyan Chand and other legendary players of that era. “Our players play artistic hockey and we avoid modern tactics. Modern tactics are adopted by the lazy players. And our club is not a lazy one,” opines the coach.
Most of the members of Faith Hockey Club are from the weaker section of society and have some or the other story to tell.
Umesh, a player of the club, lives in a house which is without electricity. Not because there isn't power supply in his locality, but because his family cannot afford the electricity bills. The young player is fairly good in studies and even manages to get a decent percentage after studying under candle-light.
"My uncle took me to Dhyanchand Stadium. There the coach gave me a hockey stick. I decided then and there that I will play this game with full dedication. In the beginning I did not even had knee pads and proper shoes," said Umesh Kumar, who too plays for Delhi.
The club also organises regular tournaments. Faith Hockey tournament- a six a side invitational hockey tournament-- is their signature and attracts lot of clubs.
Even though the club has been doing such a noble job for the cause of hockey and been quite successful in its motive, it has not been a cakewalk for them. The ground on which they practice belongs to Indian Civil Services and they face consistent problems from the management. According to Mahesh, the authorities concerned have tried to uproot these players from the ground where they have been practicing since years.
“There are a few people around who doesn’t like the whole set up. But by the god’s grace they haven’t been successful enough to break the bond. Because by the end of the day it is good that always triumphs over the bad,” said Mahesh.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
