Where are the audiences?
“Phir Dil Do Hockey Ko” is one of the most touching ads that we have seen in recent times. The ad shows that the younger generation might have lost interest in the game but the beauty remains. The Olympic Qualifiers in Delhi is the event for which the ad was made by Hero Motocorp. The company tried it’s best by running it on all leading channels and propagating that come and watch hockey at the National Stadium. The turnout though is depressing to say the least.
Should India actually be playing the Qualifiers?
One of the reasons of the empty grounds might be the fact that many intellectual fans would know that playing a qualifiers for a tournament we have won on 8 occasions is not something that should be so proudly promoted. It’s actually a shame that we have to play the qualifiers considering its our national game and we have been once a powerhouse of the sport.
But expecting too much knowledge from the fans could also be tricky. Take this for example: While I asked a colleague to accompany me for the game against Canada (India’s toughest game thus far), the colleague a self proclaimed hockey player in his college days replied “I would like to go for the semi-finals and the finals” and “When is the game against Pakistan that must be interesting isn’t it”. I understood my course and moved ahead finding no reason to debate and enlighten.
So the point above could be laid to rest. Let’s look at important reasons as to why really the grounds might be empty. My first problem is promotion/hype generation. How much did HI, India’s governing body promote the tournament. Apart from the initiatives taken by Hero, I did not see much by HI. Not many Outdoor campaigns, not much in the malls, not many pre-tournament hype-generating activities. Frankly, had I been sitting at the helm of affairs of Indian hockey, I would have known that without these things the crowds would not turn-up. The problem is, do the men at the helm bother?
One look at a tournament like IPL and you will understand what I am trying to say. One-it is a cricket tournament, two-it features the best of international players and yet if you see the kind of promotion IPL does, you will understand the importance of pre-tournament hype-generation. Hockey in any case would need a lot more than cricket to get up and running in this country from its current dead and buried stage.
Pricing of tickets
The biggest shock that one receives when he/she reaches the ground is the pricing of tickets. Rs. 300 and Rs. 500 are the two ticket prices for the games. Yes, for this you are allowed to watch many games throughout the day but frankly who is interested in anything else than India games. And when most games are being played during office-hours how will people come. And then it is highly unlikely for anyone to pay such heft sum to watch a 70-minute affair between India and a third-world hockey nation at 8pm at night.
Did HI do any surveys to come to this pricing? I am certain they did not. Had they done they would have known that Hockey needs to be rebuilt first to get such prices. They have to get in crowds from the younger generation. If they have to allow free access, so be it. The youth who has lost interest in the sport first needs to enjoy the game and understand the high-octane environment around the sport. Only then will he be interested further.
Conclusion
The result is that a well laid out Major Dhyan Chand Stadium lies fairly empty while Hockey India (the selection board for the Olympics team) only woke up late and announced Rs. 10 tickets to school boys.
By the time the authorities woke up to their over-estimate as to judging the expected crowd, the damage has been done. Four good days of hockey has been lost
Now the question is will the school boys and girls, academy recruits will know about this late generosity and avail the chances. Yes, the media has to highlight and bring them to the stands.