New Indian Express: Buoyant India Will Soon Become a Global Superpower in the Sport

By Harbinder Singh

Our national game hockey is on a historical juncture. Thankfully, it has shed negativism, actual or contrived, and is poised for an exponential explosion. In my long association with hockey as a triple Olympian, women’s coach and selector, never did I feel so excited and confident as of now.

Not long ago, getting into the Olympics was a mirage for our men’s team, and a distant dream for women’s. This is now a thing of the past. Our men’s team was the first to qualify for Rio, as Asian champions. Only time our women were in the Olympics was more than three decades ago in Moscow, but as an guest. Now, they fought hard and qualified majestically in a tougher and sterner field.

With a determined administration to back up, with the world’s best brains to guide on field, our teams are on right path. We look ahead to Rio with eyes full of hope and heart full of enthusiasm.

Rio is just a few months away. Here comes the much awaited Hockey India Annual Awards. Perfectly timed, methodically conceived and meticulously planned, it fills the heart of our players and fans. Recognition is what every player longs for. That it comes from HI is all the more sweet. Such awards motivate players, work on their minds to deliver the extra bit, and create a right ambience.

The beauty of the awards lies in the fact that it elevates players’ profile to the next levels, present them deservedly as super heroes. For the junior players, such awards are the right tonic. Most of our players hail from middle class backgrounds, they now slowly turn upward with a booty of cash prizes that goes with the Hockey India Annual Award.

I attended last year’s function in Delhi. And saw for myself how present and past players enjoyed it. This year’s number exceeded even better. It has the stamp of Hockey India which does everything with a passion and in a clinical fashion.

Awards are performance based. Those who got deserved it. Others who missed out will aspire for it. It thus opens healthy competition.

The past was not forgotten. The Lifetime Achievement Award, with a huge cash award of `30 lakh, is conferred on a past legend. Its an emotional uplift for generations past. Players and officials who accomplished individual career achievements and milestones were awarded `1 lakh each.

I see the awards culmination of whatever HI executes nowadays. Putting on board the world’s best HIL, staging National Championships every year, creating a healthy pool of junior and senior players, never ending exposure trips and like will shortly make us a world hockey power.

History beckons Indian hockey like never before.

The writer represented India at 1964 Tokyo Olympics where India won gold, and in 1968 & 72, where they won bronze.