Empty coffers empties players’ hopes

When players and officials sit across table, we have seen umpteen number of times in the sports annals of India, officials will always come out triumphant.

Same happened now. Nothing unusual happened yesterday — despite unusual belligerent players build up and media frenzy — when the much hyped meeting between Hockey India officials and six players met to sort out the issues which the players raised before the media in Pune.

Utilizing a sponsors invite to be in Delhi, without spending a single pie – when players revolt came a couple of months ago at least one Indian official flew to Pune, which cost some money – from its pocket, smart Hockey India solved the problem across dinner table.

How was the ‘miracle’ happened.

The officials showed the players their bank accounts to impress upon the players that they don’t have money as the media world would have led them and teh world to believe otherwise. In fact, they convinced the players they are in debt.

So the Hockey India does not have money, they are paupers. Factually correct. Now the questions.

If you don’t have money, if you don’t know how to bring money, why don’t you bring a businessman of your choice – I certainly don’t mean JB Roy alone – not just to get money from him, but also to corporatize the sport. Then why a politicians run the show with a couple of stooges?

Here comes the question, the vexed one that the Indian sports is living with it without answers.

All politicians want to keep businessman outside, Mallays and Thapars failed in football for instance, and intentionally want to keep their sports poor.

Now the Hockey India, before that ad-hoc committee, and all are almost two years in the office. If they did not have money why can’t they say sportingly, sorry, let someone competent come and manage the show.

Why in such scenario of pauperism, Kalmadi did not want to leave hockey? Why, like in the 40s, you have to take loan to run hockey when the vast corporate world is waiting for you. The FIH has done far better than the HI.

Citing Sahara case with respect to already signed a contract till 2011 won’t do beyond a point Because, team sponsorship is not the only thing available for hockey in the vast Indian market. (One thing clear here is LSM under-sold hockey, hooked it to 8 years at a throwaway price to Sahara who seem unconcerned about hockey expect seeing their logos on the players’ jerseys).

Two years since the Kalmadi group is in the power of hockey, it is faily a long period to do something.

Punjab Government wants to spend a fortune on hockey, Punjab Gold Cup was just beginning, but the cronies in the HI did not even give them affiliation.

If your attitude is not inclusive, if your attitude is to remain a permanent pauper, what else can others do?

Prepare code of conduct and be wary of opening newspapers next day, fearing a negative report on their own malfeance, and put off phones, cannot help run hockey.

Neither the players nor the HI served the cause of hockey, the wholse issue is waste of time.

Players perfectly timed it on their holidays, which we in the site have already mentioned in our first report.

Society at large supported the players cause but only lip service. SRK’s tweet is another joke. Comparable only to a photograph wherein the six players and HI officials showing victory sign yesterday.

What is there to celebrate, permanent paupers?

Rajpal and Co will come to know the cost of their strike in the coming months.

It will take time for the same players to understand how millions rupees will come into play when the question of capturing seat of power, comes. That time none of the ‘paupers’ the players met will seem and behave like be paupers.

Money will also come if the officials have to attend a meeting — another term for jaunt — even if that venue is Argentina or America — an official certainly went by executive class for the FIH congress.