Yesterday, after a long space of time I met my school friends. We were playing cards when out of nowhere, hockey came up. All of them were happily lambasting the game and collectively agreed on how cricket is the best thing that has happened to India after independence.
So, just out of curiosity, I asked them the venue for the next Hockey World Cup. None knew! ” New Delhi”, I said. They were surprised. “Aren’t you talking about the Commonwealth games”? Asked one of them. I was really taken aback.
So this was the perfect time to write an article on our “National Game”. Wondering why I emphasized on national game? Simply because it’s high time we scrapped this title.
Cricket has always dominated hockey, but now that Delhi is hosting the 12th Hockey World Cup next month, it has once again been overshadowed, this time by the Commonwealth Games. Bad luck, some will say, but I beg to differ.
For as long as I can remember hockey as a sport has lost its sheen and charm. Gone are the days when hockey was looked upon as a glorious sport and Major Dhyanchand as a sporting icon.
Over the years we have become a cricketing nation and hockey has gone from bad to worse. To put it simply, hockey is a poor cousin of cricket here and we leave no opportunity to make hockey realize this.
It isn’t that we are doing well in other sports. How many times have you seen debates and discussions on India’s dismal performance in Kabaddi? We are equally poor in shooting, wrestling, boxing and many other games.
Winning a medal at an event, in a gap of five to six years is no big achievement. So why is hockey always in the limelight? Just because of the ‘national game’ tag attached to it.
Now let’s be frank, it hasn’t lived up to its title because of reasons galore. Some say they don’t have the required amenities others blame the coach and the management. Whatever may be the reason, but it is a fact that the last time India won the World Cup was in 1975. The latest disgrace being that it couldn’t even qualify for the next Olympics!
Its ironic how the most celebrated title of a ‘national game’ any sport could have in any country can turn into its own nemesis. Many people will be against this argument, but then these will be the very people who are afraid to face the reality-that is, we are poor at hockey and there are no signs of improving as of now.
We should all pledge not to discourage them if we can’t encourage them. There’s no point burdening hockey’s shoulders with the weighty title of “National game”. It’s doing more harm than good.
This step may not help improve the game but it will definitely release the unnecessary pressure and burden. Therefore, it’s time that we give the game a much needed break.
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