Kalinga-Wizards lift Hockey India League from punging into perpetual mediocrity
The exciting contest between UP Wizards and Kalinga Lancers on Bhubneswar has surely lifted the second edition of the Hero Hockey India League — which started with a flurry of goals and action but somehow meandered into mediocrity in between – to a level it is expected to be.
Playing against full crowd, Kalinga Lancers won the hearts of hockey fans with an ever-improving performance, able to clear 0-2 arrears first and then tied 3-3 against much settled visitors on Wednesday. Two minutes before the hooter, Tushar Khandkar gave the match winner for the Wizards, booking their entry into the semifinal.
The manner both teams played throughout the duration of the match did wonders for the ongoing HHIL 2014 which otherwise lapsed into the less-goal syndrome of late.
Simple numbers suffice.
Before Bhubneswar resurrection of HHIL, the five matches after 15th match produced just 22 goals, significantly just 8 goals in the second half, leaving spectators nothing to cherish.
Two out last three matches before the KL-UPW clash, saw just a goal apiece in each matche, in between one contest turned out to be a tame drawn affair.
Even hardly were there any good number of penalty corners for the spectators to take relish their moments.
What instead one saw was brute physical play leading to major injury in each match, Mandeep Antil, Ashley Jackson etc to quote a few.
These were what expected of HHIL, but a good, consistent quality hockey to entice and entertain drawing room of homes and stands at the stadiums.
With each player commanding great sums to be part of HHIL, and equally media build up, presence of a film star as co-owner, all ok, but where were the thrills and frills of hockey that can only ensure success of the long drawn out league such this, which undoubtedly is launch pad of reviving hockey’s dwindling fan base.
Thankfully, Bhubneswar’s great stuff today helped deflect and defy the trend, though it remains to be seen how others matches will fan out in the coming days.
The rise of Kalinga, despite not getting enough points on the ranking table, inject a sense of competitiveness to the HHIL which was woefully let down by Mumbai team.
With teething problems of Kalinga almost sorted out, the likes of Gonzalo Peillat, Lalit Upadhyaya, and goalie Harjot Singh come to the fore.
It took 23 matches for the HHIL to generate its first one hundred goals speaks lack of desired number of goals, more so against the fact that five matches produced only a goal each.