Irony of sport shines through as India salvages a point
The irony of sport – and indeed life itself – was never too apparent than in India’s last two games in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup. On Saturday, India lost to a game England that it should have drawn, if not won. On Monday, it was left thanking its stars after a 3-3 draw with a Shivendra Singh goal in the dying minutes to figure in the play-off for the seventh place.
It would be an understatement to say that India dominated much of the match – throwing in a number of attackers to raid the South African circle, playing a bit more aggressively than it did in the past few games. And yet, for a large part of the second half, it did not seem to find that one nudge that would slot the ball home – until just five minutes were left for the final whistle.
There is a bunch that can take India back to the elite
It has been a while since India figured among the top four finishers at a world class hockey event – and, even though Australia and the European nations do not figure in the Asian Games and Asia Cup, we are including these events when we are discussing the dismal record over the past few years. And I have felt no disappointment as the dreary run continues.
Had India drawn, if not won its match against England in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup at the Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday night, it would have kept its slim hopes of making it to the last four alive. But a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the European champion left it with only mathematical chances of getting there. Read the rest of this entry »
Weighed down by baggage and pressure, India loses it way
There is hope yet for Indian hockey. No, I am not talking about its chances of making to the semifinals of the Hero Honda FIH World Cup but of the fast that it has not run out of support from fans. The writing was on the wall midway through the match but the spectators were steadfast in their support for the Indian team.
Indeed, it was a poignant sight that will be etched in my mind for a long time. India had lost its second successive match by a 2-5 margin and yet many hundreds of its disappointed fans lingered on to cheer the team. The warm gesture after India was outplayed by Spain on Thursday night showed that the sport will find support in the country. Read the rest of this entry »
India pays the price for running into resilient Australia
You could have predicted the Australian backlash after the side lost 2-3 to England in the opening match of the Hero Honda FIH World Cup. And when the Indians were unable to replicate the intensity showed for most of their opening game against Pakistan, it became clear that only one side would win the game on Tuesday.
If collective will of the goodly crowd could have resulted in a few goals, India would have won by a handsome margin but in the end, the match was a testimony to the famed Australian traits of grit and resilience as well as its players’ ability to actualise their coach’s plans. A 5-2 verdict in favour of the Australians seemed a fair result for the efforts that the teams showcased. Read the rest of this entry »
Ajitpal-Charlesworth Trophy, a step in the right direction
Australia has proposed that the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 group B match featuring India and the Kookaburras be played as a Friendship Match for the Ajitpal-Charlesworth Trophy. This initiative has come against the backdrop of a string of dastardly attacks on young Indians in Australia.
Set to coincide with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith’s visit to the Indian Capital, the decision to institute a trophy to honour two legends – Ajitpal Singh and Ric Charlesworth – this decision is reminiscent of the ping pong diplomacy route that the United States and China took to achieve a thaw in their relationship back in the 70s. Read the rest of this entry »
Paying spectators experience great value for money
The vast majority of spectators went back with the feeling that a day out at the Hero Honda FIH World Cup hockey in the Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium offered a great value for money experience – not just because India defeated Pakistan 4-1 in an intense contest or England upset Australia but also because they enjoyed the whole gamut of spectating.
The spectators went back with memories of a beautiful experience
As soon as he heard from his friends that tickets were available for the evening’s hockey games, Dr. Anil Bhat convinced his wife Dr. Sujatha Bhat and their daughter Aakanksha to give up the idea of watching a movie in favour of turning up at the National Stadium to watch the big contest. Fortunately for him, he did not have to deal with any hesitation.
I got to speak with Dr. Anil Bhat at breakfast on Holi and was pleasantly surprised to hear that the security did not stifle the spectators’ enthusiasm. “On the contrary, the levels of security were the same as I would expect at international airports – X-ray machines, metal detectors and frisking – and nothing that can be termed excessive,” he said. “We spotted Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and actor Gul Panag in the same stand as us. And I am sure they came through the same process as all of us and had no complaints,”
He was only echoing what the grand old man of Indian hockey, triple Olympic gold medal winner Balbir Singh Sr. said about the levels of security. “Keeping in mind the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, the arrangements made by the organisers for the Hero Honda FIH Word Cup are appropriate. I believe the security of the players is of paramount importance in itself and to the image of our country,” he said.
To revert to my conversation with Dr. Bhat, a full 12 hours and more after he left the National Stadium with his family and friends, he was radiating a joy that only Indian sporting conquests have the ability to place on thousands of faces in one go – and on the faces of the lakhs of fans who tune in to radio commentary or watch the live telecast.
Dr Sujatha Bhat, who was a first timer at a sporting event of this magnitude, did not lose time in becoming the part of the massive crowd. “We were disappointed that we had not carried the Indian flags with us but soon discovered that we could have our faces painted with the colours of our National flag for just Rs 25,” she said.
The Bhats’ daughter, Aakanksha pointed out that there was no better feeling than standing in a stadium and singing the National Anthem along with thousands of fellow Indians and cheering their favourite team to victory. “It was truly an experience of a lifetime,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“There was plenty of food and beverage available and we could even carry our coffee cups to the galleries,” Dr. Anil Bhat said. “What’s more, the toilets were clean and a far cry from what we expect at our sports facilities. If anything, we would have liked to see huge board that listed the names of players on the field.”
Clearly, the Indian team has given the sport’s administrators another chance to raise the profile of hockey in the collective consciousness of the nation. The win on Sunday night and the beautiful feeling spilling over to the celebrations of Holi showed that fans love it when they get the chance to cheer a spirited Indian team.
The squad needs to deliver positive results consistently in such high profile events for it to remain in the public eye. The challenge before the sport’s administrators is to ensure that they schedule the calendar for the team that it plays often enough.
This piece was written for www.stick2hockey.com