On a day hockey was least expected on the television screen, coach Joaquim Carvalho’s perfect arrow struck the bull’s eye, and thus came enormous screen space for hockey. On a day the victorious twenty20 cricket team returned home and their governing body, BCCI, organized a grand procession in Mumbai followed by prize awarding ceremony, hockey for once hogged the television headlines on equal keel with cricket.

Joaquim’s masterly media blitzkrieg — that the States did not extend the type of patronage it extends to cricket – turned out to be the right recipe for the television channels were looking for. His alleged statement to a news agency that the coaches and players of Karnataka State will undertake a hunger strike protesting against the step-motherly treatment to its State players — because the state announced hefty amount to cricketers but ignored State hockey players who were part of the Asia Cup team – was a hit with the television.

Almost every leading news channel organized a discussion or phone-in in prime time after highlighting his quotes from midday onwards. Contrary to the contents of the news agency reports, Carvalho in his bytes sounded more rationale, when he asserted that they were not against the cricketers getting any reward, but hockey’s victory too needed recognition. “The president of India had written individual letters to all players, the Prime Minister has congratulated, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi too sent us greetings. We felt honoured. We are not just interested in money, but in recognition of our grand victories”, the coach said repeatedly.

Participating in one of the programmes in NDTV 24X7, the IHF Secretary K. Jothikumaran revealed that the IHF announced Rs.1 lac for each Asia Cup winning team members and said the media did not highlight it. About 50 journalists covered the Asia Cup, but the catch was kept secret by the IHF. We don’t know, why? And then when occasion comes blame the media. In the same show, Ashish Ballal, Harendera Singh and MK Kaushik came out against the IHF on its failure to market the sport of hockey and supported the proposed hunger strike by the players.

In an Hindi programme, cricket player Anil Khanna opined the poor monetary status of Indian hockey is due to the IHF which willfully prevented players become stars. “How can an association sack six players and the coach of the winning team after the 1998 Asian Games. They should have built on that success. If so, today each government would have given not just 2 lacs but 20. Market your product, produce stars”. He appreciated BCCI for its marketing ability and its efforts not to let the sports down. However, Aslam Sher Khan contracted him saying the nature of hockey sport is such that it is television unfriendly, unlike cricket where ads can be inserted, so the cricket went ahead” he said.

In the same programme, Carvalho refused to comment on the post 1998 Asiad scenario but maintained that the States owed more responsibility. “It’s good Haryana govt gave Rs.21 lac to its State cricket player. I appreciate it. But on the same breadth, Sardara Singh of Haryana State not rewarded”, he asked.

In Sahara Uttarpradesh’s late night show, most of the Chak De filmi girls were caught on camera. On asked why there is disparity in celebrating a cricket victory against hockey, Vidhya Sharma put the ball on the court of the poser, “You are all media, do something to reverse this.” But the little Chitrasi, who acted as Komal Chautala in the movie, was spot on. “There is lot of money with the federation. They don’t spend on players. If they do first, then others will also follow”. A very sensible reply from the not-so-little super star.

In a prerecorded DD sports programme MK Kaushik was joined by Zafar Iqbal where this cricket-hockey step mother business also came in for discussion.

In the end of the day, due to hyped tele-activity Karnataka government announced Rs. 2 lac to its four players and a coach. Civil Aviation Ministry officials took pains to explain the media that their hockey players would also get out of turn promotions and the whole Asia Cup team air travel free for five years.

Certainly the Govts of Haryana (which already has sports awards policy in place) and Punjab, which never lagged behind any state in terms of rewarding sportspersons will fall in line.

To this extent, Carvalho’s media ploy, perfectly timed, did a service to hockey players. No doubt about it. Don’t just question the practicability of the hunger strike which was never on the cards in the first place.