By S.KANNAN

For old timers and romantic relics, winter in Delhi was the season for club hockey. In the decades gone by, when the Nehru Hockey tournaments (junior & senior), Shastri Hockey, and a few more named after even businessmen were held, it attracted great audience.

Shivaji Stadium was the venue for such events, located bang in the heart of New Delhi’s Connaught Place, now renamed Rajiv Chowk! Even those not necessarily hooked to hockey would drop by, watch a few matches, eat moongfalee (peanuts) and walk out.

Their comments after the matches were so frank and forthright. If a goalkeeper fumbled, curses would follow. If a player was selfish up front and a goal chance was missed, fans would again go wild. So much so, that even when former India captain Sardar Pargat Singh, now a leading politician played and launched himself into attack mode, none other Sardar Gian Singh, the doyen of hockey literature, would lose his cool. For Gian Singh, Pargat had to play only defence!

Indian Airlines team of 90s (l-r), Ravinder, Samir Dad, Harendra Singh, MP Singh & Vineet Kumar. Photo: Ashok Vahie

Shivaji Stadium was a venue for sunshine and hockey. Ticket prices were low and affordable. So, when it came to even having tea inside, it did not hurt the pocket. Of course, for journalists who covered the event and notably the final, it was a matter of prestige.

Teams like Indian Airlines, which was virtually half the India side in the late 80s would turn out so smart. Names of Zafar Iqbal, Thoiba Singh, Mohinder Pal Singh would strike you right-away. Those were the days when players had no names scribbled on the back of their shirts. There were just numbers and if you were lucky, you got the team list.

Shivaji Stadium has seen a beehive of activity with committed fan base

But then, for those who watched those legends and even lesser teams like Namdhari XI, playing in all whites, reeling off names was not tough. People identified themselves with teams and players and for sure they had fan following, though not like today when social media floods the space.

There were times when some matches were watched just because it was going to be explosive! Forget stick-check, sticks would become weapons and sights of players bleeding was common when a team like Punjab Police or RCF Kapurthala was on the field. Yes, on-field umpires had a hard job to do and even they were sometimes caught in the fracas. Sadly, the same Shivaji Stadiun now is deserted with the turf in bad shape.

It is sad to see local sport in Delhi lose out to TV and especially hockey in winter. Just as Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital was known for football events like Subroto Cup, Durand and DCM football tournaments, Shivaji Stadium was hockey’s paradise, even though Delhi’s National Stadium had more seating.

This is the year when hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr passed away. Even he was a regular at Shivaji Stadium and he would enthral the media with his wealth of information. More Olympians like RS Gentle, KG Kakkar, Harbinder Singh and the past greats would come and see matches.

Such was the atmosphere, to share the same space with these legends meant a learning experience daily. To be fair, the way the media covered local hockey events in the 80s and early 90s was serious. It was not reporting through mere press releases but watching and writing the real stuff. 

Delhi journalist covering an event of the then Sports Minister Sunil Dutt at the Shivaji Stadium

This generation of writers may not be familiar with sports writers names like KN Mohlajee, whose hockey writing was poetry or Raghunath Rau, who appeared to be sleepy inside the stadium but would churn out superb copies. There was also Gerald Hassu, whose hockey knowledge was no less.

The next generation of writers like Ramu Sharma, KP Mohan, K.Jagannadha Rao and Hindi newspaper hockey writers like Manoj Chaturvedi would also be present.

Shivaji stadium used to be packed for domestic competitions, like HIL

All this seems like a blur these days for many reasons. Local hockey died even before Corona virus struck and coverage of local events  by wires and newspapers has become nil.

last major tournament held at the historic stadium, known in the past as Lady Irwin hockey ground, was Hockey India League six years ago.

Walking past the Shivaji Stadium the other day, so many memories came back, first in a trickle, then torrent.

Today, the experts and media can talk of what will happen in the postponed Tokyo Olympics. However, I wish after the pandemic, people will shower love on venues like Shivaji Stadium. It is craving for hockey, it is craving for the past glory. This is where the greats played, not Bhubanesshwar, which hosts most international hockey events now.

And yes, I do hope, people will pray for MP Singh to come out strongly from his renal failure. As a defender, he was so sturdy and played with passion.