New Delhi, 17 Jan 2014: Crowd in the stands: Eighty nine. Six cameras of the host broadcaster. Eight cameras by each team recording games for analysis. Eight foreign journalists in the press box and four from India, when 11 players each from 2 top countries out of 130 nations that play hockey… These are the numbers as the FIH Press Conference ended and the first match began on the penultimate day of the Hero Hockey World League Final at the Dhyan Chand stadium here on Friday.

The press conference was addressed by Kelly Fairweather, the CEO of FIH and Dr Narinder Batra, President of HockeyIndia and Budeisky, an FIH representative. One of the questions was on the crowd or the lack of it during the world class matches being played here.

A journalist from the Netherlands said that Dr Ric Charlesworth mentioned that the lack of crowd for these games was a `disgrace to hockey’. Even as the FIH CEO said that they were `strong words’ and agreed that things would be reviewed and efforts would be make to bring in more people, Dr Batra took objection to the words and made some unnecessary comments against Dr Charlesworth, which are unbecoming of a person from a such high office in Hockey India.

Dr Batra informed that three buses were made available for school children to come and watch the games yesterday. “And from today, we are planning to give lunch boxes apart from arranging the transport,’’ he added.

But when an Indian journalist asked whether Hockey India would take this up against Dr Charlesworth, he said no. And in anger, he continued Dr Charlesworth is a `loose cannon’.

As the head of the Indian Federation, Dr Batra needs to maintain his cool and not react to every question in harsh manner. He should realise that journalists have a right to ask questions and he is in a responsible position as the head of Hockey India. Many of the journalists in the room were as much interested in promoting and developing hockey in India, just like him or anyone else in the Federation.

ends