Can hockey emulate Cricket in London
Many hockey fans in India use their social media tool to berate cricket, even to the extent of accusing it of sole reason for hockey’s downfall. No one can stop them but its time for hockey to prove they can also raise to the occasion as that of cricket, and meet the expectations of their nation. Again much like cricket.
Its nature of sporting rivalries, each nation expects its national team beat the other. Each nation has only one serious sporting rival, its Pakistan for India.
Despite the neighbours playing in a dozen sports right from carom, cricket to everything, people of either side want cricket win, and hockey win comes second.
The other day Virat Kohli led Indian cricket team outplayed Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham. On a Sunday, the nation stood in unison to watch the fabulous win.
Now comes the turn of hockey.
Much like cricket, hockey too has problems with the national federation of the other side. Each accuse the other of either indiscipline or wilful negligence.
Indian hockey’s dominance as a financial fulcrum adds masala to the issues lurking around both national hockey teams.
Here only the players have a big role to play.
Barring a China or Oman visit, Pak could not host any internationals due to their nation’s image and perception among the global hockey powers.
Pakistan hardly spends the kind of money for team preparation and exposure compared to India.
Elite Indian hockey players are now millionaires whereas Pak just started getting jobs for their job, getting Hockey India League kind of cash inflow is not in the realm of practicability.
Indian cricketers too enjoy such superior conditions, and they make use and deliver. They defeated Pakistan for a record 124 runs, and thus endeared both native and NRI Indians.
What about hockey?
Despite greater international exposure, far higher valued training schemes involving world’s best coaches and physical trainers, one cannot predict the outcome of home trained Pakistan team.
Even in the run up to HWL SFs, where India is to meet Pakistan on 18th June, Indians are playing against giants like Germany and Belgium, while Pak had to take the help of emerging but yet to be a power house Ireland. That Pak lost the series is beyond the point.
Despite many advantages over Pak, Indian hockey players have not reflected it on the turfs. The mere fact that they lost to Pak in Bhubneswar in 2014 in the semis of the Champions Trophy speaks poor of Indian players.
At home, they walked away with Silver. What a shame for India.
The winners even went on to show the thump to the stands. They brought shame on themselves. But it’s a different story.
When you lose to traditional rival when the nation expects you fully, you let the nation down.
Please learn from cricket and learn how to keep the mass joyous.
And on many other occasions India lost the Bronze matches to the same rival in the same genre of competitions.
If hockey has to get house hold recognition, not merely in academics and nostalgic canvass, it has to defeat Pakistan the way the cricketers do.
They haven’t lost to Pakistan in the 50-over World Cups at all.
Then why some of us crumble if cricket endears the mass more than the sport we like.
What makes ticking in sports is wins, nothing less than that.
Pakistan team has been in a sticky wicket for long, at least last ten years. Indian situation for hockey is on the ascend in a strikingly dissimilar fashion.
Yet, home trained Pak, lacking in preparation and international exposure, often expose you, sometimes even on home grounds just like Bhubneswar.
India are the professionally best managed side, while inexperienced former players struggle to administer it in Pak.
Indian victories helped Pakistan stay afloat. India hardly outplayed Pakistan in any of AHF or FIH events befitting its preparatory zeal, and far higher ranking in the FIH ladder. but cricketers do it in most ICC events, Sunday feat at Birmingham being the latest.
Therefore, its at the hands of our hockey players to deliver where the nation wants.
Winning any other country is not going to help improve the public passion for hockey unless and until against Pakistan.
18th June will provide the answer.