March 2004: “It’s a mistake”, says Nick Irvine. “No. Big mistake”, asserts and corrects Charlesworth. Watching a match the duo were commentating for television. I was watching the same match on television, but lamenting. It’s about the umpiring hassles that one has had in abundance in the first semifinal of the Olympic Qualifier at Madrid.

On a day the ugly head of terrorism shook the humanity at Madrid, a large crowd turned out to witness the match at Club de Camp…… The orgnisers showed guts to continue the tournaments despite the host city facing their country’s worst ever terrorist attack that had nearly consumed two hundred innocent lives.

But the umpires of the India-Netherlands match did no good service to the game they officiated on the fateful day. A lapse here and there is human but the glaring ones need to be addressed and highlighted for the sake hockey which we all love the most, and many times like the Madrid citizen brave odds to reach the stadium to cheer the teams.

See some incidents and the umpiring decisions.

Dilip Tirkey and a Dutch forward chase a ball inside Indian circle. Television camera shows the ball crossing the backline, but the umpire award a penalty corner. Usually calm, composed and never-question-umpire-policy believer Dilip Tirkey persuades and makes a point in vain. At this juncture what comments transpired between Ric and Nick has been given the first para of this story. Netherlands scores from this penalty corner.

20 minutes from this incident, Netherlands earn a penalty corner, their second. No goal but in the rebound attempt the ball raises dangerously. Instead of giving a decision in favour of the defending side, the umpire awarded another penalty corner. Comments instantly Ric Charlesworth: It’s a raised ball. I don’t understand the decision “. But the Netherlanders scores again.

In the next half, the other umpire seems to envy his counterpart. Now it’s his part to prove his worthiness!

Around 65th minute, a Netherlands’ freehit lands inside the Indian cage. The umpire awards a 16 yard hit! Surprises Ric to Nick: “If the ball gets inside off a Netherlands player, then its their goal. If from Indian side, a long corner. How the 16 yard hit!” He laughs. So do we.

I recollect a same hilarious decision from an umpire in the last World Cup. India effects a cross into the Malaysian circle from the right side. The ball gets stuck inside the cage. Indians started celebrating as they felt they had a touch. But the umpire did what today’s umpire did.

Instances of such nature are galore in hockey. Had hockey been truly a professional sport, like football or tennis, the crowd would have taken them to task. But no problem. Hockey is an amateur sport and rest can always be so.

Madrid match today proved it once again. Is third eye the solution? One never knows