When KPS Gill took charge of the Indian Hockey Federation a decade ago, there was a feeling — inspired by the man’s Supercop reputation — that the sport would return to its golden days. Sadly, though, this hasn’t happened and instead Indian hockey has acquired the reputation of being Gill’s personal fiefdom, no questions asked. It’s actually been a strange 10 years. There have been successes (see box) most other countries would be satisfied with. But somehow you get the feeling that these successes have come despite, and not due to, the system. Long distance, shortsighted Indian hockey federation THE MEN: Federation president KPS Gill and secretary K Jothikumaran have been in charge for 10 years THE MESS • Despite being listed as an ‘elite’ sport, and thereby receiving preferential treatment, India haven’t won the Olympic title since 1980; in fact, they haven’t even qualified for the semi-finals • In 30 years, India have won the Asian Games title just once, in 1998 • The men’s senior national team has seen 13 coaches in the past 11 years • Domestic hockey is in disarray — only three national championships have been organised in the last decade • A year before the Olympics, hockey has no sponsors — Doordarshan has refused to pay out any revenue since the game is not marketed properly. Team sponsors Castrol pulled out recently. THE MEDALS • In the last 20 years, 34 Arjuna awards in men’s hockey • Junior world cup winners in 2001, runners-up in 1997 THE DEFENCE: IHF claims that it is doing a good job in the last 10 years — witness the juniors’ achievements. It will take time, they say, to show results at the senior level KPS GILL: We are on the right track and the evident is that we have five teams which gets top exposure today. It takes, eight years to produce an Olympic champion. (Manish Kumar) If, indeed, there is a system. Hockey seems to oscillate between glory and gloom and nothing sums this up better than the fact that a team which has done excellently Down Under last week may miss out on the Olympics next year. It is easy and fashionable to blame Gill for all the ills associated with hockey but it is a product of a process he has engendered, by playing such an omnipotent role within the IHF. In short, who else can you blame? There is little discussion, less dissent and anyone who doesn’t agree with the way things are finds himself out in cold. Like the example of the man who captained India for one series before being dropped when he called for better communication between the IHF office in New Delhi and the players residing in various cities. Actually, domestic hockey is in the pits. In the past 10 years there hasn’t been a regular National championship, for which the IHF receives grants from the Sports Ministry. Gill says the Nationals aren’t necessary because there are other societies and private trusts who are conducting tournaments at this level. Even if that is a valid reason, why not have more more international tournaments or series; the craze for hockey is still higher in India than in European countries and Australia. The final of the recent three-nation tournament Down Under saw 3,500 people turn up — much less than the number who witnessed the final of the Bombay Gold Cup last month. But the IHF hasn’t conducted any international tournament at home in the last seven years. Team selection is probably the most controversial subject — though not within the IHF since the members of the previous selection committee gave up their job in frustration at the autocracy within. The current selection committee comprises Gill, his secretary Jothikumaran and Rajinder Singh, who was picked up by Gill after Cedric D’Souza was sacked in middle of last year’s World Cup (the IHF has appointed 13 national coaches in 11 years). There was a precedent, of course, to such bizarre happenings. Soon after winning the Asiad gold in 1998, six senior players were sacked for indiscipline. Five years later one of them has been recalled, equally summarily. No wonder, given the state of things, that the game’s sponsors have backed out. The scope for growth is enormous, and never more so, perhaps, than now — on the back of last year’s success at Cologne and the recent wins. Ironically, it’s now that the IHF finds itself in a trough: Tatas, Pepsi and Castrol have all pulled out of deals in the past seven years and Doordarshan has done the same. If India cannot perform at Athens, there should be heads rolling. Gill says he needs eight years to build a team that can win the Olympics; he’s on notice. He will, once again, be the nation’s hero if his team can pull it off next year. But if they can’t, he should give others a chance.
