Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Two years ago, hockey had a pretty decent shot at resuming its position as the national sport. Today, it resumes its place on the sidelines of the national consciousness, muscled out effortlessly by cricket, with even shooting and tennis able to offer more than a sport that has given us eight Olympic gold medals. The moment came and went; no doubt it will come again but will Indian hockey be ready to seize it? The game is currently immersed in a typically unseemly controversy, with the issue of leadership of the national federation subject to a court ruling and its president and vice-president at total odds with each other. As always, there is a thick veil of secrecy pulled across key decisions — K.P.S. Gill has always scoffed at the need for PR.
That could be the biggest problem with the sport. Lack of transparency has robbed it of credibility, and when you lose credibility you lose not just players but eyeballs. In an age where sport survives on TV-generated revenue, that is the worst kind of own-goal. For example, does anyone know why Dhanraj Pillay, the world’s most charismatic, eyeball-capturing player of his generation, retired — or was retired — from the sport when evidently he had some miles left in him? What kind of signal does that send out to youngsters thinking of taking up the sport? The IHF had something going with their Premier Hockey League but the buzz didn’t last because of problems inherent in the format. And not just because it was restricted to Hyderabad, and so kind of cut out the rest of the country.
This is the time when a strong, purposeful sports minister should step in and, through a nudge here, a wink there, and a sharp rap on the knuckles, restore some order. Sunil Dutt was a good man and the spirit may have been willing but he didn’t stand up enough. His successor still has four years in which to turn things around and remind the administrators that the game belongs to the people. Sullied, tainted, ridden with flaws hockey may be, but there is no doubt the people want it back.
