Somehow, statistics is never recognized as a specialized branch of hockey sport. Unlike in cricket, many landmarks thus go unnoticed. Surprisingly, a vast majority in the media, including television and air commentators, who all make a living out of hockey reporting – or want to leave an imprint on the readers/listeners mind with their pen or voice, strongly feel hockey does not have anything worth statistics. This certainly make them do their job without worrying about numbers, so what the fans are deprived of many sidelights such statistical approach would have otherwise dished out.
This writer being the author of Hockey Year Book as well, always feel hockey throws as much interesting stats like any other sporting discipline if not more. Only things is rather willful negligence of media of vital part of journalism; and it was due to their casual approach, chalta hai attitude if not out of ignorance. ‘Hockey is not cricket’ is the refrain one often gets from those informed section of society.
Thursday’ contest in the ongoing Premier Hockey League, for instance, is statistically a landmark, which also marks a milestone in the 4-year old Premier Hockey League. This match is worth remembering not because the Lions made a comeback, but because of the following.
It was the One Hundredth PHL Match.
Last three editions of the PHL has witnessed 88 matches in the senior division, and the twelfth match of the ongoing one makes up the century. Why no one has mentioned this and not talking about. Oh! Hockey is not cricket, I say’.
And when such a major milestone is not important, why then anyone will take note of another happening that occurred in the same match.
For the first time in the four PHLs, a match did not produce even a token penalty corner and it is a record of sorts.
When Tushar Khandkar, the Hi-Fliers’ forward, put the ball on the hands of a blocking defender inside the circle in the third quarter of the Thursday match, a penalty corner seemed in the offing, but the umpire John Paul of Tamil Nadu thought otherwise, even the shrill cry of Korean Hyo Sik fell in his dump ears. However, the penalty corner not coming in favour of the Hi-Fliers, that has led to the rather unusual record – a penalty corner barren match in the brief history of the PHL.
It so happened in a contest in which two of the known penalty corner experts were present, Len Aiyappa for the Hi-Fliers and Diwakar Ram in the rolls of Hyderabad outfit.
There are many such things that are allowed to go unnoticed, and then we all say, ‘Oh hockey, who bothers’.