David and Conor Harte support the same football club – Manchester United. They list ‘Crash’ as one of their favourite movies. Idolise Roger Federer. And are teachers by profession.

The similarities do not end here. They’re both 6-foot-5, play the same sport, are players in the defensive mould – one a goalkeeper, other a centre-back – and have made their international debuts on the same day.

The 26-year-old twins, towering over most as they stroll on the Marine Drive can get several heads to turn, posing for pictures and guffawing about in their Dabang Mumbai jerseys. The only two Irishmen in this season’s Hockey India League (HIL) hope they can put their country on the hockey map with some credible performances here. Just like they’ve been doing for the last nine years by playing across Ireland, Holland and Belgium, trying to prove a point every time they step on the field.
In a country obsessed with football and rugby, to be a professional hockey player is rare. And to have two from the same family, rarer even. “We played hurling, Gaelic football, football and badminton growing up. All these sports require a bit of movement and hand-eye co-ordination,” David, eight minutes senior to his brother, says. Conor continues: “But the boarding school we went to had hockey says and rugby as options. We played both but eventually chose hockey.”

Since making their debut together against France in August 2006, there has been an equal measure of thrill and toil in playing for the national team.

Pay to play

THE Irish players receive no money or mileage playing for their country. Instead, they have to pay to play. While funding was never sufficient for the sport to grow exponentially, it took a massive hit during the economic crisis that gripped the world in 2008-09.

Ireland hockey’s annual budget was almost halved by the government, who contribute just about 80,000 Euros (approximately Rs 56 lakh) per year. “The budget for hockey is lower than what many players get paid here in the HIL,” smiles David, who was picked up by Mumbai for $51,000 (approx Rs 31.3 lakh) in the auction last November.
Most of the budget allocated to hockey is spent on developing grassroot players and junior teams, leaving the national side with virtually empty coffers. In 2009, with recession at its peak, the players decided to create a funds pool for themselves. Each of the 40 members of the squad chipped in 550 Euros (roughly Rs38,000) at the start of a new season, which would go to the central pool from where the national team affairs were managed.

To generate additional funds, the players conduct fundraising matches and depend on private sponsors, who are very few. “It’s funny because you have to pay to play for Ireland. The money isn’t much and until a few of us started playing in Holland and Belgium, many players did not realise they could earn a living by playing hockey,” David says, sitting on a cushioned sofa in the brightly-lit lobby of a South Mumbai five-star hotel facing the Arabian Sea. “All this,” he says flailing his arms, “was unthinkable for us a few years ago.”

Conor says several talented players end their careers prematurely to support their families. In such dire circumstances, exposure trips abroad are rare and unaffordable. Coached by Craig Fulton, Ireland are currently in South Africa preparing for the World League Two, which begins in late February. It has created a massive dent in their budget for rest of the season but the tour was necessary ahead of the Olympic qualifying tournament.

The Hartes will meet their team-mates directly in San Diego next month. “For most teams, planning for such tournaments revolves around studying their opponents. For us, it’s a bit different. Our planning begins from finding and booking the cheapest air tickets many months prior to the tournament, looking for affordable places to stay,” David says.

As he describes the plight of Irish players, you think of the stark contrast that exists between Indian and Irish hockey establishment and the pampered players. Just last year, Hockey India threatened to pull out of the Commonwealth and Asian Games because the budget allocated to them, Rs10 crore, wasn’t deemed to be enough.