Stickwork
Gurbux Singh
Another flashpoint and another case of being in the news for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, this time it affected the game directly.
The players’ mutiny made for unsavoury drama. That one verdict was issued only for it to be overruled by another makes the whole issue even more unpalatable. In all this, Sandeep Singh has not come out with a clean image.
At the time of the Chile qualification for Beijing, too, we were told Sandeep was injured. I believe the dragflicker feigns injury whenever he fails to have his way, something that doesn’t reflect too well upon the player.
However, personally, I am against the multiple captains theory. I believe it breeds factionalism within the team and the players’ energies are wasted behind causes other than the game.
After the example of the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL II, the multiple captains theory appears to have failed again. But whatever be the experiments tried out, it is important to ensure that the focus stays on the game. More so now because there are major competitions coming up next year.
Brasa has said Sandeep will be available for the World Cup. Only time will tell.
The build-up to next year’s competition saw Australia successfully defend their Champions Trophy title in the meet where hockey’s own decision review system was on trial for the first time. This one monitors goals with teams getting one appeal each till overruled. It remains to be seen how this innovation benefits the game.
At home, there seems to be some sort of compromise in the affairs of Indian hockey and I hope that, for the sake of the game, the stakeholders make sure no further damage is done to the image of the national sport.
What needs urgent attention is the question of holding the national championships that have remained suspended for the third year now. The meet is the premier domestic event and provides a platform for the upcoming players to showcase their talent.
Bengal has taken a step towards giving its players their very own platform for doing so with the announcement that the Salt Lake Stadium complex will house an astroturf surface.
The season at the moment is confined to three months and clashes with the examination schedule in schools and colleges. But now there can be more practice time and more tournaments. That should go a long way towards reviving Bengal’s interest in the game.