March 12, 2010 was the day when the Indians were being watched upon by the whole world in the two major sporting extravaganzas. One was our national game and the other for which whole nation dies for. One was something more than just a game which gives the magic of money and power and the other was an effort to prove its worth of calling it a ‘national game’ in front of the whole world. Talking to the people and switching the news channels on the very next day brought my mind to one straight fact – Hockey is back to its pavilion. With people and media going berserk on the exciting win of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan’s IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders over the defending champions Deccan Chargers, we the Indians simply forgot to cheer or just even notice the effort of our hockey team which was fighting for 7th place in the World Cup against Argentina.
The spirit which our countrymen showed in the hockey match against Pakistan was completely dampened with consecutive losses in the following matches. But we cannot sideline the fact that how well 12th ranked team of the world, India performed against the world’s top ranked hockey teams. Rather it needs appreciation because who can forget the past years of controversies related to hockey, be it the black day of Indian hockey when it failed to qualify for the world cup or the sting operation which exposed the hockey officials taking bribe for selection of players or the recent strike of our players on monetary issues, the way Indian team came out of the whole fiasco and performed in the world cup is worth praising. Although the movie ‘Chak de India’ did played a part in reviving the love for our national game in the heart of every Indian but the fact that the World Cup is being hosted by India gave it the that extra cinch of edge and pride for our national game. As expected large number of spectators turned out in the Indo-Pak clash and the stadium was jam packed but as the tournament progressed the sale of tickets dropped down like the remaining balls in an exciting cricket match.
Although India hosting the World Cup was a big boost for the hockey fraternity and hockey lovers but the fact remains that it is still a fade show in front of the money and glamour in cricket which gives cricket a X-factor. It will not be a bad idea if hockey in India to revive Premiere Hockey League (PHL) to redefine its audience and gather the national support. `
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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