Diminishing returns of gold

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the intervening decades andIndia, now languishing lowly ninth in the world, enter the new millenniumwith more soul searching than ever before.

Nations who learnt hockey from their Oriental masters now rule the roost,their ability on and off the field leaving Indian hockey in the shade.But the memory of the incomparables from the immortal Dhyan Chand and hisbrother Roop Singh, Eric Penniger, Kanwar Digvijay Singh `Babu’ to severalBalbir Singhs including the eminent Senior still lingers for those oldenough to remember.

The long list of greats continues with Kishan Lal, Randhir Singh Gentle andShankar Laxman to stars of the next generation the wizard’s offspringAshok Kumar, Govinda and Ajitpal Singh and to Mohammad Shahid, Zafar Iqbal,Pargat Singh and Dhanraj Pillay — names that still make the strugglingnation a force to revere.

While India houses more than half the total number of hockey players in theworld, we have shown scant attention to the changing mores of the sport.Little focus on tactics, on interpretation of the ever-changing rules andthe failure to adjust our style and technique adeptly to artificial surface.Most regrettably, we’ve fared pathetically in playing our public relationswith the world body the manner in which first Pakistan and now Malaysiahave shown.

In retrospect, the golden era that we enjoyed in the distant past seemed tohave blinded us, making a nation believe that hockey supremacy was ourbirthright. When the power equation changed we failed to take it withdignity. Making excuses, alleging bias on the part of the FederationInternationale de Hockey (FIH) and harbouring misplaced pride that preventedus learning from our former pupils.

We still view hiring a foreign coach with horror, ignoring the role playedby famed Dutchman Hans Jorritsma in Pakistan’s 1994 World Cup victory. Inthe same breath, we treat our own coaches callously and contemptuously.Perhaps not as badly as we do our players. The ugly head of politics hasimpaired Indian sport in general and hockey in particular has suffered theworst.

Even when we ruled supreme, the signs were ominous. From the dumping ofthree stars of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics our last gold medal win beforePakistan ended our reign to the declaring of joint captains for the 1968Mexico Olympics where we failed to make the final for the first time ever.Or, for that matter, the split national body that threatened to jeopardiseour participation in the 1975 World Cup which we eventually won.

And finally, the disguised dumping of six stars who helped haul us out ofthe wilderness with an Asian Games gold medal after 32 years, speaks forsinister forces scourging our national sport.

TOMORROW: CRICKET