While the whole nation stands by the agitating Indian men’s team, heart also bleeds for women hockey.
2009 marked a fantastic spell for Indian women.
They utilized the chances that come their way, very well in 2009.
First they won the Champions Challenge Cup II without losing a match.
The peach of their course in the year gone by of course was at Bangkok.
Indian girls reached the finals, defeating awesome Korean girls, ranked 10 steps above in the FIH ranking, in the semis. This fantastic win helped them to earn the right to be in this year’s World Cup to be held in Rosario, Argentina.
While the Indian men get to play their world cup by virtue of the hosts, girls sweat whatever level they could, to get the honour of playing the World Cup in a telling fashion. As more countries play women hockey than the men’s, this is not a small achievement.
Their match in the semis at Bangkok which gave the elusive World Cup berth was worth the gold each second.
The likes of goals that Rani Ramphal and Jasjeet Kaur scored in the semis, take if for sure, would have put even the boldest of the men’s team.
What did these girls get in return?
Nothing, except their employers’ daily allowance, but what about their new found guardian, Hockey India. They did not even get a reception that normally men’s team get – going to IOA office, shaking hands with Sports Minister, a bit of publicity here and there, such stuff.
After Hockey India, those in the know of women’s team concede, the situation for women has transcended from bad to worse while the situation for men remained bad as ever.
These girls did not create a hue and cry, even now undergoing a camp in Bhopal. They are used to be Indian sports’ silent sufferers, not withstanding Chak De India!’s run away success.
They will never walk out of the camp, and till such time they are forced to, perhaps, no one will notice them.
The request therefore is whatever you pay now or anytime to men’s team, do the same for the women as well.