So finally the dates for World Series Hockey have been rescheduled. Once again the authorities at helm have succeeded in their arm twisting tactics. Once again the players have been left in lurch on the pretext of country vs club. Once again the authorities at helm have given a damn to the welfare of the sport which they had promised to take to new heights after the Indian Hockey Federation (the then controlling body of our national game) was dismantled after India had failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Sad indeed!
But then that’s the irony of sports in India. Here the people in power are more interested in feathering their nest rather than thinking about the well being of sportspersons. Here the hunger of power takes precedence over the welfare of sports. Or else how can one justify the nuisance going over on the pretext of country vs club in our national game.
Speaking on the postponement, IHF president RK Shetty said, “We are extremely saddened by the intimidation tactics employed by Hockey India to try and deprive Indian hockey players of an opportunity to earn a living from the sport of hockey. As everyone is well aware, the original schedule for WSH was made on the basis that the National prep camp for the Olympic qualifiers was to start on the 24th of January. This date was communicated by HI officials in writing to players as far back as March this year. Unfortunately, HI chose to reschedule the camp to the December 11 with the obvious intention of disturbing the players and their preparations for WSH. This re-scheduling was done after the announcement of WSH dates. The intimidation tactics being used by HI are shameful and it’s a pity that our players had to be put through this. With the express intent of protecting our national players from further harassment from HI, the IHF has requested WSH to take the high ground and adjust the dates for WSH.”
One simple question that the public and players want to ask the authorities concerned is that did anybody ever said to have given precedence to club over the national colours. Was the WSH schedule clashing with the Olympic qualifiers? Is such a long camp prior to the Olympic qualifiers necessary?
The answer is an absolute no. If experts are to be believed, long camps serve no purpose or else the condition of Indian hockey would not have been the way it is at present. Then why to deprive the players of the money the and one month of fame in this otherwise cricket crazy nation? Everybody, who knows the game and its administrators, knows the answer.
It was never the question of country vs club, which the people in power along with their so called well-wishers had been propagating to play with the emotions of the whole nation. It was always a clash between India Hockey Federation and Hockey India.
India is known for not able being to cash in on opportunities that come its way even if it is served on a platter and the postponement of WSH is a perfect example to it. As a matter of fact, it had been alleged for long that HI, the apex body of Indian Hockey, had been long using pressure tactics to sabotage the WSH. WSH was a concept which promised to change the course of Indian Hockey and take it to new heights. It gained immense popularity and for the simple reason that it was a concept of its rival faction (Indian Hockey Federation), it certainly did not go down well with the HI.
“When the camps were scheduled to happen after January 24, how did it get pre-poned on such a short notice? And talking about the practice, is there any practice better than match practice,” said a player, who did not wish to be named.
The WSH would have done a world of good to hockey in India and had the potential to increase the popularity of the game. It would have made the whole of India talk only about the national game for a whole month. It would have increased the standard of hockey in India by giving the Indian players (young and old) an opportunity to rub shoulders with the world’s best. And most importantly, it would have given the players money unheard of in the game, which would have been a great motivation to the upcoming players. But then it was not to be.
Star Indian player Dhanraj Pillay lashed out at the Hockey India for this 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’s their problem because as they never gave anyone such kind of money. When India won Asian Champions Trophy they gave only Rs 25,000 to players and if Neo sports and IHF is organizing one of the richest events in the game, what’s wrong in this? Players should take a stand for it. If someone is trying to do something good for them, they should back it fully. It is total pressure tactics that has been applied by HI to sabotage this mega event,” added Dhanraj, who is the captain of Karnataka franchise Karnataka Lions.
The postponement of such an event, which the whole world was talking about, is indeed a step backward. The players donning the Indian colours may cope up with the loss to their exchequer in the name of taking pride in playing for the nation, but who will account for the loss of money and time to more than 100 players who had scheduled their next one month for the event. The players who had booked their days for this month long event will definitely feel paranoid about making about further commitments as who knows what the authorities in power have in their hands after the Olympic Qualifiers.
Can anyone give a guarantee to the effect that there wouldn’t be any impediments from the Hockey India side or for that matter who can give the guarantee that sponsors and the other stake holders won’t back out from the event after seeing such a turmoil happening to the in conducting of the game event, which India ruled for decades has no takers in Hockey India and the FIH.
It’s not as if there has been a truce between the HI and the IHF and the postponement has come in consultation with the fighting factions. HI is still opposed to the event, which is not their baby and who knows what kinds of cards they intend to play in order to deter the aspiring players, who wish to play for the country, once the Olympic qualifiers are over.
In this fight for supremacy, one thing has come in forth that whichever side emerges victorious would have the players suffering. So the time has indeed come that these conflicting bodies do some serious introspection and think about the interest of the players and not themselves.
The clash between the two hockey factions does remind us of the hostility between ICL and BCCI, but the BCCI’s actions were justified by the inception of IPL, which has reached greater heights with each passing year in terms of money and popularity that have made the Indian cricketers most sought after persons in the country in contrary to hockey players.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News
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