Bob Davidzon: Mixed Steps by IHF on Bob Davidzon’s Report

M.M. Somaya is Technical Director. Merwyn Fernandis is Technical Adviser. Mumbai’s Mayur Pandey is Chief Executive Officer of forthcoming Under-18 boys programme, being sponsored by City Limousine.

Designations sound trendy. Terminologies appear tech savvy. Has the Indian Hockey Federation, often accused of living in the stone age, of late attained a shred of modernity?

Simple question, but unfortunately no simple straight forward reply thereto. But nothing wrong in attempting to find out one.

These are the steps the IHF seemed to have taken after enlightened by the Bob Davidzon’s November 2006 report. A new look web site for IHF too is in the offing.

It was nice of FIH that it not only foresaw the downslide of Indian hockey but also put in a process oriented formula to prevent it. That the International Olympic Committee too involved in the crisis management effort lends enormous credibility and sincerity of purpose to the FIH’s step of putting Bob Davidzon into the task of making a report

Had only the FIH headed by Rane Frank, Etienne Glichitch or Juan Angel Calzado (certainly honourable and meritorious heads of FIH) taken note of, say Canada or Kenya, as does the present FIH with respect to India, those nations would have continued to be the forces to reckon with which they were in the 70s and 80s. Russia in the early 90s desperately needed global support which did not come up especially from the FIH and then, unable to fend for itself, the hockey power of 80s ceased to be so once for all. These trio were not members of IOC which perhaps narrowed their approach.

Against this bit of unpleasant and insensitive historicity, the FIH’s India specific approach comes as a whiff of fresh air. For whatever reasons, the FIH is doing its bit to save a hockey heritage.

I for one have a set of grouses against the way the present FIH set up approached its global tasks. The present ranking system of nations, timing of its introduction (barely two months before a Olympic Qualifier tournament), a major game’s rule chang months before the Athens Olympics, rigid global partnership concept that obviously discourages regional sponsorship prospects (because of which National Federations have become loathe to bid for FIH events) are some of my concerns.

However, what pleases a chronicler like me is the fact that the FIH under Els van Breda Vriesman does not simply sit back now and watch Indian hockey goes up in smoke because of poor administration. The present FIH knows that the problems that confront Indian hockey, solution thereof, are easily surmountable. Therefore, the FIH is well intentioned, on right side to counsel the IHF and on right time too. Bob’s 8-page report is a firm step taken towards that end. So far so good.

Now the all important question. How does the IHF react? (s2h will publish sequence of correspondences between Bob and IHF, Bob’s report and others shortly).

With a flurry of terminologies, some of which are mentioned in the opening para.

May be it might improvise the website, and look for a foreign coach or adviser in the long run.

In a nutshell, it is very clear that the IHF is taking – or talking – some steps here and there without seemingly understanding the bottomline of Bob Davidzon’s report. That Bob is a tall man (not just literally) with vast marketing and administrative background should have made the IHF more alert than what it is.

Bob’s report is a vision document, a veritable blueprint for the revival of Indian hockey. Wherein problems facing Indian hockey are summarized, in a polished way without hurting anybody, and the steps to be taken are clearly outlined.

But the problem with the IHF is, to start with, it is not ready to accept that the Indian hockey in is problem. Talk to anybody in the IHF set up — from bottom most official to top — they are not at all apologetic of recent defeats. They are the ones who take the World Cup and Asian Games debacles more ‘sportingly’ than anyone else! They pick up a defeat of India in some other sports – the West Indies World Cup Cricket comes in handy — to tell you and me that ‘one should not take defeats into heart. Winning and losing is part of sports.’

When the FIH president openly said Indian hockey is moving towards disaster, the IHF should have reacted instantly, impulsively and positively which it did not. The IHF’s response to her comments are till not known, not made public, not even selectively leaked! For public therefore the IHF has accepted her version which means the IHF is defeatist in approach.

This attitude is a proof the present two-men IHF cannot be sensitive to hockey sensibilities any more. Whatever is their vision, application of thought, work culture they did not simply deliver. They administered the sport for the last 14 years without break. They have to realize this. They have to therefore leave t