Pataudi Pariwar’s treachery of hockey continues

Pataudi Pariwar’s treachery of hockey continues unabated even today

If a person is selected to represent the country, that too, giving the honour of not even undergoing selection trails while others are sweating it out for the same, the person who is so honoured should be grateful. But it was not in the case of Pataudi Sr.

Pataudi Sr. who was studying in Oxford University in London, was selected for the 1928 Olympic hockey team. He did not undergo any trials even as others were put in the hard grind in the Provincial Hockey Tournament in Kolkatta. Teams from Lahore, Delhi Central Province, Bengal had to show their mettle to get into the India’s first Olympic hockey team. Even Dhyan Chand had to undergo trials at that point of time.

But what happened alter? Pataudi Sr. did not even bother to go to Amsterdam, mere two-hours boat drive away from where he was stationed then. What was the reason this gentle man did not go? Research points to the fact that this Nawab (prince) did not like an ordinary citizen (Jaipal Singh) given the captaincy mantle. Not only that. This Nawab did so much politicking that the dejected Jaipal Singh, who also taken in the team straight from Oxford, had to return midway through the Olympics.

What his father did to hockey was not enough, his son, which every Indian loves because of his cricketing exploits, continues the treachery trait.

Recently, he articulated Hockey Should be removed from National Game and the only game he seems to know (other than showpiece polo), cricket, should be put in that spot.

The point here is, National Games are not made every drop of a hat. What hockey achieved and why it has become our national sport despite the treachery of people like his father, can never be reversed, under-estimate or repeated.

They all luxuriate in all glory of our past national wealth, and never contribute to present day sports.

Only thing I came across Pataudi Jr.’s name was when he was arrested by police in Haryana a couple of years ago for poaching endangered animals. He was put behind the bar and was later released. The case is going on still.

Now he is targeting another endangered species, hockey. It is time let us all save our endangered species from such historical poachers.

It is not by the likes of Princes and Kings – they only luxuriated and sub-served the British, who made hockey our national game. It is humble persons like Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh, Gurmit Singh, they all made country proud by excelling in hockey. They only proved India can do, and defeat Hitler’s hockey team 8-1 in the final.

As long British was ruling us, they ran away from the Olympics not to lose to a colonial country.

That’s why — and because of many other similar reasons, hockey is our national, essentially for the achievement in the pre-Independent India when the likes of Pataudi Sr.s were undermining and subverting hockey for personal ego and prejudices.

Now poachers of different kind have almost made many of our forests tiger-free. Can we then afford to call Tiger is snot our national animal.

Isn’t quite ironical that this large-mouthed Pataudi is called Tiger?

Soon we will have only Tigers of this nature, who are accused of poaching deers, not the real ones.