NEGILANCE OF HOCKEY.
By: Irfan Quraishi
The India cricket team won twenty 20 world cup and defeated team Australia few months back at there home land first time in Indian cricket history made Indians to be proud of through out the world. Meanwhile the India hockey team when got defeated by 0-2 in Olympic qualifying round finals by Great Britain and had thus failed to qualify
look of Indian performance in the history of Olympic hockey it will be witnessed that the champions of times somehow hits so low that has been taking Indian hockey down and further down and the government was waiting this to happen made shameful negligence. India was the country that took its feet in for the
first time in 1928 in Olympic hockey and since the first debut in 1928 Indians ruled over the hockey for about twenty eight years unbeaten and in Rome Olympic, a city in Italy no one till 12th minute of final dared to challenge India but at the 12th minute Pakistani right out Nasir Bindan by striking a wonderful goal breaks Indian record of continue winning in Olympic hockey in a such way that then after the dream of continue winning remained just a dream. No matters by defeating Pakistan in just next Olympic final Indians regain the crown but then after within 40-years India won a single Olympic gold that was in 1980 when India won and it was because during the days all the countries boycotted on the the appeal of America against the attacks of soviet union on Afghanistan. Due to that Monitial Olympic Gold medalist Newziland, silver medalist Australia and browns medalist Pakistan including Germany, Holland, England also didn’t participate. while if just to say India gained the title of Masco Olympic champion but due to the absence of the rest strong hockey teams India struggled enough to claim as gold medalist. India faced strong challenge against Poland and span but fortunately India remains successful to level the score 2-2 against both and the rest team tanzamiah,kuba and soviet union it faced against was a easy win and reached finals but in finals Spain gave superb competition to Indians for win but it was the goal in last minute that made India winner by 4-3 and provide an opportunity to become a gold medalist for the last time yet because after this Indian hockey sets so down and down in shadows that being on fifth position in 1984 afterwards India hits one step down in every Olympic. India’s graph was definitely going down increasingly but it was not expected thought that a day will come when India will not be eligible even to participate in Olympic and the game Indian hockey players were showing someday to the whole world now a days when Olympic will begun these players will remain seated inside there drawing room to watch the battle of hockey for the medals someday they were ruling over. Infact the players had a training camp in prath, a city in Australia, to prepare for the Olympic qualifying round in Santiago and when India defeated Russia 8-0, Austraila 7-3 and Masisco 18-1 it was believed that it is the fruitful outcome of training camp held in prath but when India loss by 2-3 against Britain the myth was that Indians has forgotten to play against big and professional teams and it might be difficult for India to qualify for the Olympic. but when India inspite of this lose showed a great comeback by taking win over Chili by 4-1 in last league match, a ray of hope arises again by sayings like defeat against Britain may be a coincidence and India by defeating Britain in finals will easily qualify for Olympic but in finals Britain attacks tremendously in the beginning with such a confidence that lefts no choice for India other than to be on a back foot and in just first ten minutes they stuck two goals made it hard for India to effort comeback ands due to the superb game plane and attacking efforts of Britain India lose there concentration and a psyche of fear and frustration took place and India wasted all the penalty corner opportunities for goal. If having a view at 1964 when India loss in Tokyo against Pakistan, India got diverted from the path of success meanwhile from the day when P.S.Gill holds the responsibility and charge of Indian hockey the graph begun to go down rapidly such that in 2006 world cup India got 11th position out of twelve teams. In the same year in Asian games held on Doha Qatar India remains too far to reach finals and received a shocking defeat against weak team like China. Eventually in between India won few of small tournaments and home series but the success was just like a white dot on a black board that can be rubbed with a single touch of a duster.Simallarly Britain rubbed all the successes of Indian hockey just by defeating in Santiago. if after this shameful defeat the Indian government does not pay attention and does not take any step of action for P.S.Gill,Indian hockey remain out of Olympic forever and not only this Indian hockey will have to face struggle in Asian games also and the conditions will reach same as to Indian football as limited up to club level.
THANKING YOU.