THURSDAY 1 MARCH, 2001:

One more frustrating day for hockey fans

When I contacted Hyderabad Hockey Association people around 15 hrs today when hardly an hour left for the commencement of the second hockey test between India and Germany, they were all in upbeat mood. “Today’s cricket test at Mumbai will be over before expected time, that is, 16.00 hours. This case our hockey match will be telecast live”, said one ‘relieved’ official.

Saurav Ganguly’s cricket boys fell like proverbial nine pins sooner than expected, succumbing to the slow spin onslaught of Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. The first cricket test ended around 15.10 hrs, yet the hockey live telecast was not there. DD is again telecasting the repeat of the day’s cricket play instead of utilising the opportunity to show hockey live, which makes sense and logic. But the things did not go this way. Despite full presence of Doordarhan crew at Hyderabad, only recordings is proposed to be telecast that too at dead night 12.00 of today(technicaly in the first minute of Friday)

Doordarshan, which has a contract with Indian Hockey Federation for telecasting all international matches, shamelssly bungled in the case of first hockey test too. Germany and India played an exciting test opener at BHA grounds on 26th of February. DD did not show the match live. It turned a Nelson eye again.

After a dozen phone calls to Mandi house, DD’s headquarters, which controls sports programmes on national level, I could catch Dr. D.K. Roy, Senior Director, Sports. On asked why the Hyderabad and Mumbai matches were not telecast, he said: It’s our policy. When cricket is there, we won’t show any other sports because of commercial considerations. Today, Mr. Gill (KPSGill, the IHF President) too contacted us. I reasoned with him about this. As you say, we do not neglect hockey.”

I brought his attention to the fact that the Mumbai hockey Test took place a day before the Cricket test started in the same city, he had no firm answer. “There may be many reasons. I cannot divulge everything. Strictly, speaking I am not incharge of hockey and I don’t know who put you through me”.

Querries revealed that one Deputy Controller of Sports is incharge of telecasting current hockey series. He could not be traced till the story is filed on the site. He is the man who directed transmission staff to telecast repeat of cricket after the day’s match was over. Further investigation prove that the transmission staff at Asiad Village(New Delhi) received a fax from the Mandi house bosses directing them to telecast the day’s hockey in the night. “We would have been happy to telecast hockey live immediately after cricket is over. But, there is no communication from Hyderabad”, confided one transmission official.

The irony is that DD is obliged to repeat telecast the Day III cricket match from 17.30 hours. It’s slot was vacant between 15.15 hours to 17.30 hrs. Hockey match was played exactly during this time frame. Yet, hockey test was not telecast live due to unprofessional and congenital apathy of national telecaster towards Olympic(non-cricketing) sports.

Insiders claim the Chennai hockey test scheduled for 4th of this month(Sunday) will be telecast live `as there are no cricket play on that day and the schedule is already in the transmission sheet .’ Let’s hope.