In a carefully worded statement, the Federationale de Hockey (FIH) has nearly said the danger of World Cup being shifted from India is very much there. The FIH, after its three days Executive Board Meeting at its Headquarters in Lausanne, made it clear hat ‘satisfactory progress had not been made in either Promoting Indian Hockey Project or in the preparation of the 2010 World Cup’.
As we all know the FIH has been making it clear that India is committed to implement the ‘Promoting Indian Hockey Project’ in letter and spirit. However, for the reasons known only to it, the Indian Hockey Federation has been dilly dallying on its own commitment. From the beginning there has been no coherent or meaningful action taken from the Indian side. The FIH’s intentions of saving India hockey, it seems, is not liked by those who are otherwise supposed to grab the opportunity. Even when the proposal of the project was informed to the world media during the Monchengladbach World Cup in the presence of International Olympic Committee Chairman Jacques Rogge, the first question from the crowded media was, ‘why not one for Pakistan whose hockey also on decline like India’.
It is however a matter of temporary relief and it was not wholly unexpected that the Executive Board decided to give Indian Hockey some additional time to urgently address those issues before it would take a final decision. In the meantime, FIH is looking for alternative host countries in case the FIH would be forced to take the decision not to host the World Cup in India.
It is indeed really surprising that the IHF chief has been cold-shouldering the FIH for quite some time. It is rather amusing whether his team is winning or he has millions of rupees with him. Hockey runs on government doles, already downgraded from Priority list and the IHF’s liabilities are mounting each day. Gill’s team has been losing right from Asian level to FIH Grade II tournaments.
Still, Gill behaves as if his team is the world leader, his market is the biggest – and the technical people whom he surrounds are the best brains in the world.
It is very difficult to say whether a person is a buffoon or a buffalo. We are in this cleft stik situation.
A Delhi based Hockey Fans Club’s Ajit Singh recently said: “We want World Cup. Gill told in a television he does not need World Cup. We know wherever it is held Gill will go at the IHF’s money and witness, what about us?”
Now it is interesting to see which TV channel Gill will prefer to profess his brand of patioritsm to say why we are denied the World Cup. Certainly, there is going to be some patriotic missiles coming from around ten patriots we all of sudden happen to meet in hockey circle.
S2h’s duty is to expose them, it will do its duty as the events unfold Whether it is Gill or Gavaskar, or anybody who preach hockey for personal interest will have fitting reply.