Indian hockey not quite as glamorous as the movie
Santham Pillay

Two years ago the Bollywood hit Chak De! India brought some big-screen sparkle to women’s hockey but the reality, says India’s hockey captain, is quite different.

Surinder Kaur and her team were in Durban for the Spar Four Nations Tournament this week, which saw India, Australia, Argentina and South Africa competing for top honours. India played the opening game against the Australians on Tuesday, going down 3-1.

The following day they came up against South Africa, losing 4-1. On Friday, they were crushed 7-1 by Argentina.

Kaur, 27, told the Sunday Times Extra that when it came to India’s national sport, opportunities for women failed to measure up to those enjoyed by their male counterparts.

“We go through a hard time as the chances are more for men. Male teams have better opportunities as there are many tournaments for them.”

Kaur said the Indian squad could solve the problem of inexperience if women’s domestic leagues in India had better coaching standards.

Chak De! India, which starred Shahrukh Khan and earned critical acclaim, mirrors the Indian women’s team to a certain extent.

Like the movie team, the national team is trained by a male coach. Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, team coach, said while the movie had done wonders for the sport, it was just a movie.

“To motivate, the movie is wonderful but true conditions are different. The young girls have to work hard,” he said.

Kaur, who hails from the northern Indian state of Haryana, has been a hockey fanatic for as long as she remembers. She took up the sport in 1994. Since the beginning of the 2009 season, she has already scored nine goals.