With the Hockey World Cup only 6 weeks away, Team India goes on strike! iSport's Hockey crazy fan Gurjit Singh is upset not only at the state of affairs but also with the manner in which India's World Cup dream has gone astray.
The moment you think that Indian hockey has hit its lowest point and cannot go downhill further, it manages to surprise you with yet another major controversy. As if the power struggle between IOA, ad-hoc Indian Hockey committee and state hockey associations were not enough to bring Indian hockey on crutches, the player’s boycott of the World Cup preparatory camp in Pune has broken its back completely.
This is third straight setback for Indian Hockey in a few months span. Hockey India that was already mired in the election controversy got the FIH’s flack when they were refused to conduct a four-nation tournament. The tournament was to be played at the World Cup venues but was disallowed due to unpreparedness of the pitch.
The crux of storm this time is the non payment of dues to players for Champions Trophy, where India stood third and the demand for regularization of salaries. Players were used to getting their payments in advance were miffed at repeated postponements.
Hockey India which is blaming players for applying pressure tactics at this juncture are themselves guilty of behaving in a dictatorial manner - quite similar to its previously disbanded avatar, the IHF. After an epic meeting on Saturday 9th January 2009 with the players, Hockey India offered each player a paltry sum of Rs. 25,000 per year for the results of 2009. A term that was totally unacceptable to the players.
Hockey India on pretext that it’s a newly formed association and already under debt are refusing to pay what is each player’s right. To add salt to injury HI went to the extent of threatening to disband the current Indian team in hope of luring players away from their boycott. HI even offered Rs. 10 million if team finished on the podium in World Cup.
Hockey India was expected to restructure Indian Hockey and put standard procedures and practices in place. But the latest developments once again proves that people running sports in India are more concerned about retaining power and authority rather than looking after its welfare. Earlier by citing FIH’s rules for gaining affiliation, HI threatened state associations to form unified body for men and women and for reasons best known to them, disqualified some state associations like Punjab Hockey Association.
2010 is the year of opportunities for Indian hockey which it can’t afford to miss out on. World Cup at home is just 6 weeks away; Common Wealth Games are scheduled for November and Asian Games will be played in China this year. Instead of working towards common goal of achieving greater glories and concentrating on on-field performance, we have started 2010 on a disastrous confrontational note.
The worry here is not who will get to rule the reins of Hockey India or players not getting their dues or how much salary and bonus will be paid to them. The major issue is that players are not reporting for much needed practice sessions for the World Cup which is just around the corner. A World Cup that I strongly believe can change Indian Hockey’s fortune.
The question now arises is who will clear the mess Indian hockey finds itself in and provide it the much needed direction. It won’t be off mark to comment that this mess is something of its own creation. We can only wish and pray in hope.
God save Indian hockey and bless the administrators and players with better sense.
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