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India Hockey future

2010-03-11 19:03:00

In three decades, India has not seen any success at the highest level of its ‘national game.' The euphoria that followed a win over Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup tournament in Delhi was short-lived. The host crashed to three successive defeats, suggesting an eventual placing not much higher than what India has achieved in the competition since winning its solitary title at Kuala Lumpur in 1975.

Ranked 12th before going into this World Cup, the team can be reasonably pleased with a place in the top eight. In the tough world of international hockey, fitness, speed, agility, and tactics, which were displayed so splendidly by the Australian side, count more than reputations. The tournament has exposed the chasm that exists between India and the top teams in these areas. Although chief coach Jose Brasa's assertion that a winning combination cannot be developed in eight months is reasonable, the Spaniard's tenure might come in for review at the end of the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November 2010.

There has been improvement in this Indian team but it is not the sort that can make an impact at the world level. Brasa was engaged only after India's failure to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. It was a humiliating ‘first' for a country that has gloried in its eight Olympic gold medals in the sport, though the last one came way back in 1980 in a devalued competition. A player revolt at the Pune camp demanding incentives and annual payments, manipulative establishment politics, and messy litigation marked the run-up to this World Cup. It is time to move on to settling a long-term development plan.

Sadly, the authorities hounded Richard Charlesworth, one man who could have helped execute such a plan, out in 2008. The Australian team, under his guidance, has shown in this World Cup why it is rated so high. Any long-term plan should focus on reviving dwindling hockey interest in traditional pockets. The administration should be restructured to meet the demands of the game and to offer financial security to the players without compromising discipline.

The national championship and the Premier Hockey League should be revived, along with junior competitions, to widen the base for a talent hunt. This World Cup has aroused pubic interest and passion in a sport that seemed to have been forgotten. Near-capacity crowds at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium and good television ratings augur well for Indian and world hockey.

Source Hindu