Pargat Singh threatens hunger strike

NEW DELHI: Former hockey captain Pargat Singh wants a movement on the lines of ‘Save the Tiger’ campaign to save hockey, the ‘national game’. This is one of the many plans the former Olympian revealed on Wednesday in his bid to help India regain the old glory.

Pargat is also contemplating a hunger strike on National Sport Day, August 29, to draw the attention of the people to hockey’s plight.

“We should stand up and do everything for hockey and should not spare anyone who’s mediocre,” he told reporters here, taking a dig at some of the administrators running the game in the country.

“I request the honourable Supreme Court to resolve the pending issues in the best interest of the game and the players.” He also said that the mechanism of coaching in the country needed serious attention. “We don’t have a single coach of international repute,” he said, adding that the country also required at least 500 artificial turfs to draw people back to the game.

“A country like India needs at least 500 artificial turfs in the next five years in order to beat international teams. And to put the plan into effect, we need a 100-day action plan under the aegis of the sports ministry.”

He urged the government that hockey be accorded a special status like the National Emblem or the National Anthem. “The sports ministry should also think of a special National Game code to help the sport attain special status for development.”

He also appealed for at least 10 lakh people to register for the signature campaign at www.cleansportsindia.org which he plans to take to the Prime Minister on August 29.

“I also appeal to my fellow Olympians to come forward and save the game. I appeal to them to adopt their districts and write to the sports minister to become a part of the National Game movement. We need vision, leadership, money and infrastructure and there should be no room for petty politics in sports. We need to put up a united front for the sake of the game and ensure that we win again at the Olympics.”

Pargat, who is was on Tuesday named in a Hockey India panel to find foreign experts for the national team, criticised the national body for its approach. “Till date, my proposals tabled in December last year haven’t been implemented. There is total chaos. I still don’t know whether we will get a foreign coach or an advisor on time but I will try my level best,” he said.

While admitting that it may be difficult to identify quality experts in 15 days, Pargat said India might find it very difficult to qualify for the London Olympics given the way things are. “In the current set-up, it is highly unlikely that India will qualify for the Olympics. I am not very optimistic. All I can say is that it will be a big challenge for the team.”