Opinion Too many self-goals

If I had given this excuse of “no funds” at Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ),a not-for-profit programme to support Indian athletes,I would have been kicked out. It is my job to make the funds available.

What needs to be immediately sorted out is the administration of hockey — we need a single body,not the twin existence of Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation,so that the buck is not passed around. Also,we need professionals who are accountable in every department of managing the sport.

The root cause for the current mess is the existence of two federations. They need to sit across a table and thrash out their problems. Currently,what we have is a temporary truce,not a happy merger of the two.

If the two bodies cannot come to an agreement,the courts need to step in and,along with the sports ministry,appoint a five-member committee,comprising a senior judge,a couple of corporate figures and two sportspersons of high credibility. They should recommend which body will be in charge and that decision should be final and binding.

But the sad part about this mess is that players are getting used to it. When you speak to them,you realise that they have stopped expecting anything from the federation. If you want to compete as a winning nation,and not just a participating one,this needs to change.

There is a huge gap between the federation officials and the players. The federation is supposed to play a mentor to players,not remain a distant,daunting presence — but that is what has happened.

I do not think players can pick up the phone and call an official and talk frankly about their issues because they are worried that their names will go missing at the next national camp. These are passionate,patriotic players and there is a serious man-management crisis in hockey officialdom if players are so scared.

If two of the best players in India do not want to play for the country anymore,there’s something seriously wrong. Has anyone got to the root of why Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh are so disillusioned? What has troubled or demotivated them? If,say,Sachin

Tendulkar or Yuvraj Singh were to walk out of a camp,we would move heaven and earth to find out why it happened. This is an overall letdown,and Hockey India cannot hide behind the excuse of “no funds”.

In my years with the Indian hockey,the prize money incentive has been a repetitive issue. Most times,what is promised is not given. If players question,they get forgotten in the next camp. On the issue of incentives,players and officials need to be on the same page,the same side. These are not conflicting figures.

At Olympic Gold Quest,we speak on the telephone to every sportsperson we have at least twice a week. When I played hockey for India,no one ever called up to ask,do you need any help,do you want anything?

For a player,the proudest moment is donning the Indian jersey. They do not play for a federation,they play for the country. And they will continue to do so because of the great pride in representing the nation. But what worries me is that parents across the country will question why their children should take to the sport if they are offered a paltry Rs 25,000 for winning an international tournament. Everyone should be outraged at what has happened here.

Also,increasing the incentive from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1-2 lakh will not sort out the problem. The problem is the attitude of the officials and this incident shows what they think the players are worth. No one in this country can accuse the players of being greedy — for asking for more than Rs 25,000.

There’s a difference between greed and self-respect,and it is high time the officials recognised that.

The writer was captain of the Indian field hockey team and is CEO of Olympic Gold Quest