Stop all these PR Exercises and Press Conferences

It has become a fashion nowadays among the new faces who descend on the scene from nowhere, designate themselves into various posts and then try to get the publicity mileage.

Every six months we have been hearing somebody is Secretary General of Hockey India, and somebody else is President.

They all hell bent on making a name for themselves, making use of large media space available to hockey.

On the other hand, IOA president hogged limelight last fortnight for almost three days non-stop, first brokering a peace deal with players, then joining them for training next day in the morning practive, and the third day distributing the cheque to players, all in front of national media.

The cheque that someone else has given to some other organization – read Sahara to Hockey India – but this gentleman used the occasion to improve his popularity TRPs.

This is misuse of hockey, and also media.

Now, at the short notice, one Narinder Batra, who calls himself Secretary General of Hockey India –it is not known how he got the designation, in which Annual General Meeting it was done – has called a press conference today in New Delhi.

It is beyond comprehension how Narinder Batra, Rajeev Mehta and others who have a vote in the Hockey India election and are also ambitious stake holders for various posts, sit on the seat of judgment right from affiliation to day today affairs.

Everybody knows they all have been handpicked by IOA, and if I put it on Pargat Singh’s famous words, ‘rubber-stamps’, and are in a hurry to garner whatever publicity.

None of these people called any press conference to address players concern or announcing a test tournament, the point is about the sport they are supposed to govern.

Now that, thanks to Rajasthan High Court’s stay, the election has been postponed; they can leave the election and other controversies at rest, and allow the nation to feel about World Cup.

Dear publicity mongers, please leave hockey to be talked about, written about.

Even we haven’t seen any of these Hockey India office bearers when the grand stadium was inaugurated the other day.

Certainly, it’s a rebuff for the way these handpicks are running away with publicity.

I think in this era of emails and easy communications, there was no necessary all the times to call press conference. This money can be given to silently protesting girls.

Except once at Pune, where the Hockey India questioned the commitment of players, in the presence of Ondorzo, no press conference haven’t been called to deal hockey or its players!!!

Last week, Suresh Kalmadi invited a press conference in Delhi, those who attended it wondered why for it was called, and it is recorded in many newspapers. They absolutely had nothing to convey, except showing three FIH officials on the dais.

Why to waste money on Five Star Hotels for all these?