Doha 2006: Where it all went wrong

Nobody expected a cathartic experience from our hockey team at the Doha Asian Games.

Nobody expected a cathartic experience from our hockey team at the Doha Asian Games. Well, nobody expected the egg-on-the-face experience either. It was a classic scramble 8212; a dubious first of failing to reach an Asian Games semi-final, also the first time without a medal since the event was introduced at the continental Games in 1958 Tokyo.

A few discerning eyebrows were raised, and though the much-sacked chief coach Vasudevan Baskaran managed to keep his job, his comment after being thrown out of contention following a 1-1 draw with South Korea should have opened eyes.

He was actually 8220;happy8221; with the team8217;s performance versus Korea, and carried just one regret 8212; 8220;my black spot was the loss to China, that is the regret,8221; he had told this correspondent.

India started with the useless euphoria of a 6-0 win over Bangladesh, before losing 2-3 to China, wasted opportunities being the culprit. If they felt their performance against the Koreans was any yardstick, it has to be remembered that the Koreans had already made it to the semi-finals and were unlikely to have played out of their skins against India anyway.

It was a sad commentary on the state of affairs at the Indian Hockey Federation IHF, well reflected in the cavalier attitude of the coach. Even skipper Dilip Tirkey understood, admitting that he felt 8220;sad that this happened under my captaincy,8221; but the 1980 Olympic gold medallist coach remained unmoved.

Neither coach nor skipper cared to attend the post-match press conference.

Things came to a head when FIH president Els van Breda Vriesman told this correspondent in Doha that the IHF had sent an appeal to the world body to save its honour. 8220;FIH officials have visited Delhi and have had over 400 meetings,8221; she had said. Four hundred? 8220;Yes, with several officials and departments.8221;

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The FIH was hopeful. 8220;India is of a billion people, and talent is in abundance. You just need to scratch the surface. The help is administrative. And I am always happy with people who admit their failures and mistakes and want to do something about it and make the right moves, do the right approaches.8221;

Not even two years have passed since, and the 8220;right approaches8221; have resulted in the 8220;right8221; result, it would seem.