FIH’s World Series, defunct Asian Hockey League, and a dark piece of history

A historical perspective into the FIH’s failed attempt to have a World Series in the past

It assumes importance in the context of its views on World Series Hockey

Need for the FIH to think of a league / series beyond Olympic or World Cup mindset

It happened in the mid 90s. Alan Grant-Smith, then Chief Executive Officer of Western Australia Hockey Association in Perth, put out one of his pet projects: Asian Hockey League.

It came on the close heels of Australia successfully revised its domestic structure; its the new genre of competition – Australian Hockey League – was turning out to be a workable and fruitful entity.

‘The Asian Hockey League idea was to play televised games between Pakistan, India, Australia and Malaysia on a round robin basis. It was going to be sold to a pay-television group whose programmes were beamed into South-East Asia from their base in Honk Kong’.

Everyone concerned agreed, because ‘the funding was not to be carried by them, and it would expose their national teams to more international games than they could otherwise afford’.

The main stake holders, Malaysian Hockey Federation, Indian Hockey Federation and Pakistan Hockey Federation, have agreed. Two centres in India, Calcutta and New Delhi – only cites that sported synthetic surfaces then — were believed to be made for television venues, and were among the proposed Asian Hockey League centres.

The well planned, much needed, and less-publicized concept did not go beyond because….

Because, the then Federation Internationale de Hockey (FH) did not support it for whatever reasons.

Incidentally, the FIH came out with its own version shortly. Some even felt its version, though equally innovative, in sync with the times, broader in reach and objective, was to spike the brain-child of Alan Grant-Smith.

The FIH’s counter brainwave then was, ‘WORLD SERIES’. It was hailed as: ‘….. the International Hockey Federation has made a bold move to improve the mage of hockey by introducing an annual, high quality, year-round international competition known as World Series’.

An editorial in an FIH publication philosophized and theorized the emerging scenario and articulated it as under:

“We recognise that sport can be many different things to different people – entertainment, news employment. And, of course, the countless sports –related commercial activities mean big, big business. But most important, we should remember that sport s about the game itself, those who play – whether for the love of it, for money or both – those who officiate and those who watch.

Seeing sports in its many variants such as Entertainment, Employment, Commercialism, player interest and such as, as articulated above, appeared a trend setter. Because, for long the FIH has been known for its conservatism, amateurism and was shy of competition beyond Olympics.

Within six months from this path breaking announcement the FIH’s World Series came out as a whimper. It announced ‘the World Series is on hold’, which it still today is.

The only thing the never-to-be taken off ‘World Series’ had done was to spike the almost sure Asian Hockey League.

The point is, the FIH, despite spiking others’ effort could not provide a matching or better proposition from its stable. This is a historical fact.

Phil Appleyard, who is a messiah for a section of media, even went on to say that the World Series will take off even if sponsors are not found. “If sponsors are not there, prize money for the players won’t be there, but WS will be on time”, he told often.

Then why the WS did not take off?

The WS was to have been aired by API Television (formerly Grand Slam Sports) and the sponsors are supposed to come from Indian sub-continent.

Both backed out, leading to the collapse of WS.

Those were the times communication was either on what is nowadays known as snail mail or the FIH publications. The FIH has just appointed one Communication Manager (Mary Goyle), still not much has come about the reasons of WS failure.

However, one incident came close to reasoning. It was a perception problem that the FIH created for itself.

India had put on Indira Gold Cup on a grand scale a couple of years ago in Delhi, with promo ads featuring none less than Shah Ruk Khan and Juhie Chawla. Remember we are talking about late 90s. Five state of art cars were put up in the National Stadium, earmarked for best player, goalkeeper, scorer etc. A selection committee including quintessential Ajit Pal and Zafar Iqbal have identified the winners.

Phil Appleyard, a guest invited for the final, came up with funny rules and provisions as to how the worth of cars should be given to the Federation not to individual players.

Sahara supremo Subroto Roy agreed to give money in stead of cars to players but refused to do the same with Federation.

So, the FIH ordered him to take away the cars, so what if players suffer as long as it would not fetch money to Federation?.

Sahara then turned to cricket, sponsored Toronto Cricket Cup, and now even rose to become cricket’s title sponsor, besides owning an IPL team. Hockey chose to drive Sahara away from it.

In one stroke, the likes of Appleyard not only killed the Indira Cup – only one more edition went on before it wound up due financial problems, — but also the much touted World Series.

This ‘amateurish’ approach had tented the mage of FIH being seen as rigid and unprofessional one. That was why many of us felt that the WS did not get any response from emerging India.

The incident took place nearly 15 years ago, still the narration here gains currency for two reasons.

Firstly, the FIH has a history of not allowing others to add to the game of hockey, as Grant-Smith would have understood.

Secondly, the FIH did not mind players losing out gains in kind or cash — as we saw in the case of Delhi Indira Cup — even it is not going to gain because of that.

The world of hockey train is run on two rails, amateurism and semi-professionalism. Most contemporary hockey powers fall under the former while countries like India, Pak, Malaysia – where players get employment due to hockey – come under the second category. The FIH hardly treated both versions equally, but somewhat chose to follow out-dated amateurish pursuits.

There are lot of hockey brains in the FIH set up as it is a global body, and seek to reflect collective wisdom of the globe. Yet, in the end we cannot escape from seeing it as a dog in the manger.

Now, after so many years since World Series days, the FIH faced World Series Hockey (WSH). Still, the FIH’s wonted trait of self-doubt, nervousness to outsiders, self-doubt again seemed to have cropped up.

The FIH’s reaction to WSH range from funny to panicky, even bordering paranoid. It did not seem to take it as a challenge that should be professionally met. Instead, it countered the WSH with loads of cowardice. There was no level playing field. Instead of coming out with a matching entity, it tweaked the laws, threatened players and Federations, forced Federations to change their constitution, went all out to use its inherent powers to spoilsport the WSH. In fact, by doing all these it gave lot of free publicity to WSH!

I spoke to vast section of players from other countries. They are all saddened they could not take part in the WSH because of Federations interference. They are indignant their right to take decisions is interfered with. I respect playing community’s sensibilities and vulnerabilities.

With respect to India, the players lost wealth which they deserved to earn for being full time practioners of the sport. Indian players want professional fee (not charity) the kind that the WSH promised and the short-lived PHL delivered on a smaller scale. Every Indian player joins the global playing fraternity that considers the FIH as the villain of the piece.

I sympathise with them, speak for them, stand by them.

We need to emphasize one more aspect here.

In the run up to the World Cup in Delhi, no other person than Leondro Negre, president of FIH, announced a world level club tournament. He also informed a sponsor has also been roped in, it was to be held in India. The President even clarified institutional teams in India qualify as Club so that India can field strong teams. According to him, the new genre of competition was to be played in the last quarter of 2010 or early 2011.

Every paper in India published this. Where is this competition? What happened to the ‘roped in’ sponsor? An empty, publicity stunt, it seems.

The FIH’s world level club tournament did not take place and left a vacuum which the Nimbus came to fill up — with their version of city based teams. This is my understanding and interpretation of events.

Then later on the FIH announced a World Series. This is for the nations, matches are international.

FH always ties the sport down to Olympics. Is only Olympics the sporting arena? How many countries can figure in the Olympics, what about others?

Is it not hockey for entertainment, employment and countless business opportunities as one of its Presidents outlined – and quoted — earlier in the story?

The World League is a counter to the World Series Hockey being promoted by Nimbus, a television conglomerate from India.

Was there any major difference from the 90s WS and now the World Eries?

Nothing obviously (See the FIH official printed cuttings appended to this article). At least the former was realistic and appropriate being an annual event. The present model starts in Cambrian era, meander to Mesozoic before the last phase will be held in Neolithic era, so to say.

If the FIH thinks its game is so popular and it can sustain interest of any competition for four years – as the World League seek to last– we have nothing to say except, good luck. Even Tournament Director will have difficulty in maintaining continuity!!

The present proposal of FIH, whatever the objectives it is expected to achieve, is old wine in a new bottle.

What is the guarantee the World League will not go the way the WS was?

Why all the time nations have to play keeping Olympics or World Cup in mind?

If one day hockey is not an Olympic sport what will happen to it?

Why many project World League a counter to WSH when in fact the latter is for city based, local teams?

Why can’t India have a league of its own as that of EHL, NHL or AHL?

Here only we have a simple statement to make for Hockey India, a new organization that runs hockey in India. World League is not answer to Indian need for having a professional League.

For a country like India that plays on an average 30-35 international matches in a year, the proposed World League, even if it is going to be held, will not be of much use. The FIH league is essentially for giving space to weaker hockey nations which do not get adequate international exposure.

What India needs is a league that starts and concludes in a calendar year; something beyond national teams but with clubs, city based ones and whatever.

Hockey is a popular sport in India and it needs a strong domestic attraction, and the league is a good proposition to meet the needs. Now that the WSH is a huge success, the HI should not joockeying on a wrong proposition called FIH’s 4-year long league.

We earnestly hope HI understands the difference between League for domestic and the confusing World League that the FIH proposes, which by all means seem to add to, alter, dilute, deflate or deflect existing system of World Cup and Olympics Qualifiers.

Pics:

FIH’s World Series structure as published in the late 90s.

The World Series cancellation announcement in the late 90s.

Sahara lined up six cars for awarding players.

England goalie Simon Mason receiving a television set being Man of the Match. He is now president of the England Hockey Association.

Information sources

“Dhyan Chand to Charlesworth’ published by Athena Press, London

FIH’s Official bulletin, souvenir program and publications

Hockey Year Book 1995 -1998

FIH Press Releases