Indian Hockey:Who will cry when you die?

This is a picture of the 1936 Indian Hockey team that beat the Nazi Germany team 8-1 in the finals to clinch the Olympic Gold, a feat which the achieved an unprecedented 8 times.A feat which once every four years enabled every Indian Pre-Independence and post-independence to feel on top of the world.The wizardy and mastery over hockey was legendary and many stories about the Indian prowess floated in rival teams.The arrival of astro-turf and later on KPS Gill seems to have taken off all sheen and adoration that the Indian Public had for Indian hockey.

In fact no other sport has promoted patriotism as much as Hockey has.An India-Pakistan hockey match was the closest the Indian Public could get for  a feel of war between the two nations.Our heads would hang in shame and it was almost a nation in mourning if we ended on the wrong side of the result.Some would argue that cricket has the same effect, but i will say that people were fans of certain Paki cricketers but i don't know of any Indian who was ever a fan of any Paki hockey player.

But those days are gone, hockey has taken a backseat to other sports and politics&corruption in selection and organisation matters.Mr.Lalit Modi has paid an advance tax of Rs.3 Crore.Now that is more money than all the hockey team members put together will ever make in their entire career.One can't blame Mr.Modi for his wealth and it has nothing to do with hockey ,but there is a message for the hockey fraternity that with the right attitude and acumen to promote the game ,money will flow in from corporate coffers which can take care of the men and women players and augur well for the development and restoration of the sport in India.

Perhaps there are not very high expectations from the players themselves since most of them who take to the game are rural people from Jharkand or Punjab mainly and their aspirations are only to earn a livelihood and not to make millions.City bred children rarely take to the game of hockey, not just because of a lack of social acceptance but also because of lack of playgrounds or schools with grounds where they can actually find-out if they like the game or not.The situation is similar for other sports too.It is as if cricket is the only respectable sport that people will approve of a child's participation in.

There is more sweat and blood involved in a 70 minute hockey game than a cricketer will ever shed in a 5 day game.Win or lose the cricketers contract ensures him the safety of a lot of money for each match in addition to his contract money.Cricketers will refuse to play a match in front of 50000 paying spectators if they feel that the pitch is not upto their standards.They are sometimes above the game itself.But what is there for a hockey player except the unequalled pride that comes while you represent your country and listen to the national anthem on the podium.There are a few Olympian hockey players who have died in abject poverty.

India will soon host the Hockey World Cup.A matter of prestige for a nation which is struggling to host anything other than cricketing events on the world stage.A revolt or strike by the hockey players is definitely a drastic step taken by the players.Our sports minister had said that the Kotla pitch fiasco is an international embarassment.I say the state of Indian hockey is a national shame.Mr.Sports Minister are you listening?