4-nation tourney in Jan: Pargat

Rajay Deep

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 14

“One thing of which I am sure is that whenever the marketing of hockey as a sport begins, it will begin from India and with the Indian team,” said Pargat Singh, former India hockey captain, currently posted as the director, sports, Punjab.

“The main factor behind this is that in countries like Malaysia, Australia, Germany or Holland, which love hockey, if the Indian hockey team is not participating, then the presence and enthusiasm of the spectators remains a low-key affair,” the hockey veteran added.

While talking to TNS, Pargat Singh said that there were around 200 companies that wished to promote their products through sports. For promotional deals, cricket had become too expensive and in the two other major spectator sports – football and volleyball – India lags behind. In such a situation, hockey definitely stands to gain.

“It is a matter of pride that despite a number of internal and external hurdles, Indian hockey ranks ninth in the world, a fact that has started attracting investors,” he added.

Expressing regret over the pathetic condition of the Indian hockey in the recent past, Pargat Singh said, “It is painful that in the last 25 years, only one major hockey match (India versus Pakistan) was played in Punjab, the state which has produced a number of passionate players.”

“Now, we are going to arrange a four-nation double leg hockey tournament in which India, Holland, Germany and Pakistan will participate.”

Giving details, he said that the first match would be at Chandigarh and the final would be arranged at Jalandhar. Though he was not sure about the schedule, he said that it would take place at January-end or February first week.

Naming a number of “stalwarts”, he mentioned that it was the administration and selectors, who were actually causing harm to the game.