IHF understands neither the dynamism of domestic hockey nor its history, not to speak of its significance. Never did the IHF care to promote these public acitivites, though lost no opportunity to raise the capitation fee. The IHF milked these competitions when it suited, siphoning off their telecast rights fees; and shuns them now for no apparent gains. Or, are there any hidden agenda? IHF’s latest brainwave of postponing domestic tournament would take us nowhere. An indepth analysis.

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Outgoing IHF president R. N. Prasad’s only achievement in four years was getting the 1996 Champions Trophy allotted to India at the fag end of his tenure, in the early 1994. KPS Gill, who succeeded him in July 1994, struggled to get a title sponsor for the mega event. He secured Rs. 80 lacs sponsorship a year ago for the 1995 Indira Gold Cup as a commanding Punjab Police supremo. Just a visit to Sahara’s K.G. Marg Office in Delhi, the job was done. But things were different when not in the office. But before that a peep into Sahara’s hockey razzmatazz.

Indira Gold Cup was Sahara’s baby walk, first foray into sports. But visiting Phil Appleyard spoilt the show, with his outdated ‘amateurism’ arguments that might shame even Avery Brundage. Enthusiastic initially – what with publcity blitzkrieg featuring Shah Ruk Khan and Juhi Chawla ads — but frustrated because of orthodoxy, Subrato Roy, Sahara chief, walked out. Coach or player crying off is heard of, but a sponsor doing it midway through a competition was not. Thumb rule: Strange things are not strange to hockey. Appleyard’s ‘fatwa’: ‘Don’t present those five Maruti Esteem cars to players but give the money to the Federations. Roy preferred to walk out instead. With his cars of course. Hockey kicked a sponsor.

Gill was on a learning curve, clueless to tackle the crisis. Soon Sahara turned to cricket, Sahara Cup was thus born in Canada. The relationship endures even now. Sahara is pauper hockey’s fabulous gift to cricket.

Early January 1996 Gill was retired. Search for Subrato Roys became difficult. Things further dimmed when India finished seventh at Atlanta Olympics in August. Nation’s mood was downcast. Just a month remained for the Chennai CT, India’s biggest global event after the 1981 World Cup, to begin, but sponsor remained elusive. A chance invitation for Gill to attend a new venture, Kuper Cup in Meerut, turned the tide. BSF won the title there while the IHF struck a goldmine. Pradyuman Kumar Sharma, Chairman, Kuper Group of Companies, came forward with a Rs. 2.1 Crore offer, and a promise for equal amount for promotion and publicity. In the end, the IHF netted huge profit.

Gill should be grateful to domestic hockey, Kuper Cup, for the breakthrough. But he preferred to be self-destructive. Abneye pair me kulhadi. Insensitive, he tinkered with them now – postpone, cancel like dikaits.

Or does he know the history? Take for an instance the Nehru Cup. Common saying in hockey circle is, if the IHF is half professional and committed as that of Nehru Society – which organises chain of age group tournaments on fixed dates since 41 years – we would still be winning like our good olden days. In the aftermath of Babri Masjid demolitions in 1993, Secretary Shiv Kumar querried with the Organising Committee Chairman Sayid Ahmed, Chancellor of Hamdard University, whether to hold the event or not. Sayid’s prompt reply: ‘Let us at least keep one good thing going’. Delhi has always been eventful — like the 1984 anti-Sikh riot — but this Nehru event never stopped. Like Wimbledon tennis, Sr. Nehru Cup starts on fixed date: 14th Nov. When turf was not available in Delhi, Nehru caravan moved to Amritsar! Now, oblivious of history, the IHF disturb their calendar.

Who filled the IHF coffers till now? Its again domestic competitions. Gill wanted to cash in on international teams ab initio. Smithkeeline Beecham, makers of Iodex, was the first to respond. Team rights sold, but for a throwaway Rs. 2.5 lac. Iodex had big plans, but would brook no nonsense from IHF. They quit sooner than expected.

MNC brands Reebok and Adidas too had a brief stop overs. Meanwhile, Gill and Co. threw a 10-year telecast deal they struck with the Star Sports Channel into the dustbin in 1996, after getting just a 4-Nation Cup telecast. The long term contract, ironically, survived the least – barely five months.

That was the time Indian skies opened up for televisions. An outgoing Doordarshan official, R.S. Rawat, Deputy Director General, became a saviour. Former IHF president I.M. Mahajan negotiated the DD deal. Domestic final or an international match, DD would pay the IHF Rs. 5 lac, with an assurance of Rs. 1 Cr per year. Star Sports contract dumped, DD deal stamped. Rawat was promptly made vice-president of IHF!

Big money, so also big commission. Enter a dubious, hitherto unknown Krishna Mech from A