Player Pargat Singh set a new path

Pargat Singh, a veteran on turf, has field his nomination for hockey presidentship the other day.
No hockey player in the eight-decade annals of Indian hockey ever thought of becoming hockey’s boss; they all uniformly thought that they ought to be taking orders, not the other way.
By taking the bull by its horns, Pargat Singh for once changed the mind set.

Now he dreams big, and it is the first step for fulfilling one’s ambition.

Indian sports administration is a peculiar thing. Businessmen and former players are never allowed to enter in the ring. Politicians, bureaucrats and so-called rajas who have formed a vicious circle to loot sports of its resources and its charm; have seen to it no player or businessman ever come to control sports.

They have been so far largely successful.

They need businessmen’s money and players’ sweat, that’s all.

By first getting the Punjab hot seat – and for that he fought and called IOA president of running a mafia to force his way through – and then getting enough support in his support base, Pargat has come out to do what all he knew in his sporting life – fight till the hooter.
Whether the election will take place, who will emerge winner, and what is in store for hockey are beyond anybody’s guess.

What is sure is, a player from hockey is in the thick of things, and is ready to shackle the foothold of various ‘mafias’.

Fighting mafia is most difficult thing to do in our country, as all vested interests who have clout in every aspect of social life, join together to keep the wiser elements out of sports.
He has now decided to fight, and it is worth it in the first place.

Pargat is not merely a player. He is now a seasoned administrator. Having married a politician’s daughter, and having organized a close relative’s parliamentary election, and then having been in the top administrative seat of Punjab Sports Department, this man is in the know of

various facets of the game that he is willing to play now.
Sports sympathiers, media, former players of all sports, many sports ministers, have been advocating essential role for players in the sports federations. This has been a long standing demand to reform sports.

Now the time has come for all those sections to extend moral support to this hockey player to clean the stables and steer our national game to success.

It is for us to see whether a lady who has enjoyed power for last four decades is the choice or a player who lived in dormitory rooms which the Federations used to provide for playing for the country, who played for India for about a decade and who created tens of hockey academies in his

state is, your choice.
Hockey needs genuine people who knows hockey to start with. It needs a face that can appeal to corporate. It needs independent hands not those who work of shadow bosses.

Whatever will happens in the days to come, this player of yore has proved he is there to play a role. We will only wish the great legends of the game appreciate the guts of this gentleman, and they also dream to be different and independent.