Sauravology

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Indian Hockey ::Corrruption or Neglection ??


         Recent furore over non-payment of outstanding dues of Indian Hockey Team has created a great distress over my mind that a game which should be preserved and explored to its zenith not only coz it's Our National Game but also coz it's our obligation to protect the games right and respect it possesses. It is the game which gave us Major Dhyan Chand,Roop Chand,Dhanraj Pillai type of stalwarts.It is the first sport which gave India a respect & hounour in the field of sports.This game provided us the ability to flaunt the country's innovativeness.
                    
                    Today,in cricket-o-maniac India where children are named as sachin,bhajji etc,a world where dadajii does not takes a sip of chai without asking the score,students go for "night  studies" to their freind's house to watch the India-Pakistan day night match,and very famous & our very own 'rikshawala bhaiya' has gone hi-tech and they too possess a FM or small radio to know the the latest score,and more to this cricket has made Indian on a very freindly terms as any one in metro or in mumbai local people will be seen asking "bhaiya, score kya hua , kitne wicket gaye" &; blah blah blah. Indians want to see glamour not genuinity, fantasy not reality, and globalised cricket not Hock(localit)ey.
                    
                     Indian Hockey Team ,won its first Olympic Gold medal in 1928,& from then India were unbeaten Champions till 1956,winning 6 consecutive Olympic Gold medals grabbing 8 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 bronze medals, this "was" Indian Hockey Team {early nintes to late nineties}, And on March-9 2008 India lost to Britain 2-0 in Chile,in the final quallifying round of Beijing Olympics and was thus eliminated from the tournament,first time ever since1928, this "is" Indian Hockey Team {21st generation}.

                   In April, 2008, Kandaswamy Jothikumaran,the IHF's general Secretary had to resign after being caught in Television taking bribe followed by the suspension of IHF & its Chief K.P.S. Gill(he was cheif from 14 years) by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on April 28.

                  And now Indian Hockey Players are not being provided with their due fees which is about 4.5 laks per player, sponsors,SAHARA,say that "we have given 1.77 Crores rs. to the Indian Hockey as our fresh deal with them few months ago, but as a sponsor we are not authorised to ask that where the money has gone." And now again they have helped I.H. by giving 1 crore rs.,but this time only & strictly for players' welfare. It is clearly visible that people who should be concerned are not bothered a bit but other persons are solicitous about I.H.T.
                Actually, the problem which Indian Hockey is facing is ,not only the corruption among the stalwarts & lower officials of IHF but also the neglection by the hoi polloi. As I said earlier that we prefer glamour over genuinity,we never tend to realise that Hockey is not  just  our national game but also it manifests our national intigrity.Hockey shows the cultural diversity of  India as many players are from Tribal regions Anglo Indians,Punjab Sikhs,Small Towners etc.I am saying this coz other games show this ethinicity too but this much diversity can be seen only in  Indian Hockey Team. Moreover, a majority of players have metamophised themselves from just a family's blacksheep to the Player of National popularity sponsered from their immense talant and due to their Patriotrism,they are even ready to play without any fees,moreover in their own expenses( as they consented,recently, in the front of a press conference provided they are given with a written letter that their due fees will be paid till such date),and they don't even mind that the flight missed them on the airport on the day they were to reach the venue.
            My point is why the the committiee and we,the masses, give preference to cricket & such glamourized sports and why we neglet the Hockey. I toh some times look forwad to that days when early morning our news paper vendor will tell ki bhaiya ji India ne Australia ko 4-0 se hara diya or a huckster selling toy Hockies in country sreets or youngsters  talking  about the famous penality shoot out which gave India its World CupTrophey,Or when the golden era will come of Indian Hockey that of India winning the Gold Medals in Olympics.
           Actually for this to be done, we all have to make combine efforts to promote our National Game,by encouraging rookie players  to play more & more and by helping amateur players to play the game as a  proffession.Schools & Colleges can add the game into the pedagogy, more funding should be relased from the government's side.Freindly hockey matches can organised in PSUs in some big events like Republic or Independence day etc.Such innovative measures can promote our National Game,but the onus primarily goes to our youth. So is our Youngistaan ready for it...... ? where's the echo................

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