When the first ever All Asian Hockey Star XI was selected after the 1974 Teheran Asian Games, a match against Indian XI was allotted to Delhi, but it had no takers. Neither Indian Hockey Federation nor Delhi Hockey Association willing to spend, the 10-year old Nehru Hockey Society stepped in.
The novice outfit not only hosted the historic event, where for the first time India and Pakistan players rubbed shoulders together in a team – but also netted a profit of Rs.75,000.
The princely sum was invested so diligently that it laid a strong foundation for the struggling Society’s financial moorings. 32 years later, when the same Society gives away about Rs.12 lac as prize money – biggest in India till the Premier Hockey League came in a big way in 2005 – one cannot but astonish on its systematic but exponential growth.
Some tournaments in India are soaked deeply in history. Some others like National Championships bear the label of Indian Hockey Federation. But the Nehru competitions, now on 43 rd year, stand out for certain things.
Colonial days biggies such as Beighton Cup (Kolkata), Aga Khan Cup (Bombay), Scindia Cup (Gwalior), MCC Gold Cup (Chennai) and Obaidullah Khan Cup (Bhopal) are now pride of past. Their popularity and capacity to attract top teams are on the wane for variety of reasons, significantly for want of synthetic turf grounds. Except Beighton, others are not even held regularly. Against this bleak scenario Nehru Cup has become the pride of the present, and how?
It is the only Grade I tournament held without interruption since inception and, like Wimbledon, starts on fixed date. Quite an achievement because Delhi has seen death of so many tournaments, Ghaffar Khan, Sanjay Gandhi, Shivaji Cups to quote a few, but Nehru blossomed. Violence spells after Mandir- Masjid demolition, anti-Mandal agitations and Indira Gandhi’s assassination were the difficult times but were overcome with grit and gumption. When Shivaji stadium turf became unplayable, the caravan moved to National Stadium, sometimes to Amritsar (Punjab) and Rourkela (Orissa) to keep date with the dates. Aga Khan and Bombay Gold Cup organizers refused to shift to another ground in the same city, and willingly missed many numbers!
Secondly, no hockey body in India including the IHF conducts so many tournaments under one roof as that of Nehru’s. This way the Nehru season in Delhi (September to November) far exceeds Folkstone Festival of England where most of United Kingdom’s teams assemble. Year after year, about 120 teams of different age groups vie for various Nehru honours. As a rare instance, teams for Junior Nehru Cup are selected — and sponsored — by State agencies who in turn conduct district level competitions to spot eligible teams. Thus, hockey is kept alive across the sub-continent regularly, a feat, a reach, an imprint even the IHF cannot boast of. In fact, the careless IHF misses more Nationals than it conducts while the Junior Nehru Cup in particular supplies the oxygen to domestic hockey to save it from slipping into coma.
Conservatism of the Society is a cause of concern nowadays. When you consciously keep away from Federation politics, why then faithfully invite politicians for all ceremonies? Why the format is so stoic? The PHL is popular because of innovative elements that go with it. While the Society expanded its activities (Charity matches in aid of Chuni Lal, Dhyan Chand and Joginder Singh, hosting of Junior World Cup Qualifier), why is it allergic to innovation? Why not a best of three finals, for a change? The Society will miss the market if it continues to be dogged by routine in the name of tradition. .
According to Shiv Kumar Varma, Secretary of the Society since 1964, the real danger is lack of quality teams and sponsorships and nothing else. He says sarcastically, “Northern Railways won the first Cup. They are first to withdraw this year! Despite our phenomenal reach sponsors are less enthusiastic”.
Note: A comprehensive article is included in the 2007 Hockey Year Book, which you may access at this site, by clicking 2007cover icon on the home page