‘Promoting Indian Hockey’ project leader Bob Davidzon is here in Chennai.

In a chat with s2h, he informed that he would be forwarding his views on Government of India’ s sports policy in the capacity as the chief of the said project. “I came to know about the policy only recently, and I am yet to make a study of it. But I feel the policy talks about grass root development of sports, which exactly matches our view too”, the Dutch said on the sidelines of Asia Cup.

Readers are aware that the draft Sports Policy of Government of India, despite being honest and sincere in its intention, is unfortunately opposed by the useless of all sports bodies in India, the Indian Olympic Association. In a couple of press conferences they organized in Delhi, the IOA bosses spit venom on Sports Minister and Ministry, without whose support they can never move an inch in carrying out any of their activities. Its a matter of concern that the IOA brings out support letter from every international bodies – IOC, Asian Olympic Council – even before the policy is legalized, and the IOA is yet to meet the ministry. They are all talking through media, without ever meeting the ministry officials.

The main concern of IOA is its own and Federations’ autonomy, exactly because of that monster called autonomy alone the Olympic sports are in a situation of silent death now. IOA has no work other than bidding mega tournament where big money lies. Many dub the IOA as Indian bidding Agency!!

And if –gods forbid – Indian hockey does not qualify for the Olympics, the very Indian Olympic Movement will be in the danger of dying. Will Davidzon’s feedback will discuss autonamy is not known, but it is expecting too much from an outsider.

It appears Bob’s efforts, under the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity programme, do not make much progress the way we all would have liked to. If it all, it is slow, much of it is not even visible. Reacting to a query on this, he quoted visit of a Dutch coach in Indian women’s team, near completion of websites for both men and women’s federations as the accomplishments. “The task is big, the things here are complex. It is even difficult to get people meet, discuss and decide. Probably ours might take anywhere between five to six years”

It is really sad that our Federations should start a website not on the very need of it – every federation in the globe, Ghana to Gibraltar is having one — but because of the initiative of the FIH-IOC project. India is an IT major, world’s most Fortune 500 companies use India’s IT and ITES expertise. The Indian economy is booming because of its IT might. Using the modern communication too, hockey enthusiasts like Sundeep Misra (indianhockey.com) and USA based Mohan (bharatiahockey.org) run amazingly useful hockey sites and contribute to the global communication needs of Indian hockey. It is not cost, but only passion and commitment that is what it counts. It’s a proof how our hockey federations live in the stone age.

On asking whether he has seen chakde India, Davidzon said Joaquim Carvalho would accompany him in the coming days to the theatre. More than Chakde, Bob is thrilled a at the documentary based on Dutch women, which is going to hit on the TV and computer screens on 27th September. “The document has been made after two year’s of work. I am looking forward to it its release,” Bob said.
Note: Bob Davidzon’s report is verbatim reproduced in the just released Hockey Year Book 2007. It is also available online at stick2hockey.com. For that click year book 2007 image at the bottom scroll of home page.