Zafar and Ajitpal hopeful of return to glory

NEW DELHI: Olympians Ajitpal Singh and Zafar Iqbal are optimistic of India reliving the glorious era of its hockey history. Only, ‘the team and the administrators need to work hard’.

“Hockey is dear to every Indian and we have been through some very tough times. But I am optimistic. The youngsters have the talent and they need to look ahead.

The golden era of Indian hockey can return. I expect India to achieve a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games,” said Ajitpal, captain of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur.

For Zafar Iqbal, part of the Olympic gold medal wining team at Moscow in 1980, the time has come for everyone to “support” hockey in a big way.

“The game is languishing because there are no role models and no proper guidance. I know we have the talent, but not the will to climb to the top.”

Ajitpal and Zafar were speaking at a function here on Monday to launch a Bhartiya Hockey Tatha Rashtramandal Khel, a book penned by senior sports scribe Satyendra Pal Singh and published by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The book traces the game’s history in India, its rise and fall, from Dhyan Chand to Dhanraj Pillay, apart from giving information on hockey in Commonwealth Games.

Also present at the function were Olympians H.S. Chimni, Harbinder Singh and M.K. Kaushik. — Special Correspondent