Hockey gearing up for change to stay relevant

In the middle of a week-long official visit here, the South Africa-born CEO of the international hockey body (FIH) Kelly Fairweather has ended up following the very popular end-of-the-day routine – catch some IPL action on television before hitting the bed.

That’s how the former international full-back spotted his one-time Natal team mate, a striker with a ‘breakneck speed’ as Fairweather recalls, in the Mumbai Indians dug out by virtue of being the team’s fielding coach. Before the world came to know him as the sharpest-ever fielder to walk on a cricket field, Jonty Rhodes had shown the potential to be a world-class hockey forward. This pleasant surprise isn’t the only reason that Fairweather continues to intently watch the highly successful T20 experiment closely. With the FIH executive board deciding to make India the epicenter of their global initiative to popularise the sport, IPL happens to be a template too good to ignore.

This has translated into a India-based professional league that will be full to the brim with top international stars and with a dedicated window in the international calender. Though the nitty-gritty of the event are yet to be worked out, a possible start in early 2013 is expected. Along with this feature franchise format tournament, the billion plus-strong nation will host marquee events such as the men’s and women’s Champions Trophy, Junior World Cup, Olympic qualifers and World League finals in the next three years.

In a further desperate push to the game in the sub-continent, both India and Pakistan have been given a permanent wild card for all high-profile televised FIH events anywhere in the world.

‘There will be obstacles’

While the FIH president, Leandro Negre, can’t help stressing India’s importance to world hockey, Fairweather confesses that there will be obstacles in this venture. “I wouldn’t say we are being over-ambitious. After the World Cup last year, India has shown that they can hold big events,” said the FIH CEO.

With the hockey administration in India mired in long-drawn court battles, state units split vertically between different factions and, most importantly, a rebel league of sorts already floated; FIH will have its hands full. But for now the the world body is bullish about its plans. Negre said that FIH wouldn’t take a step in India without Hockey India (HI) by its side while Fairweather opined that the KPS Gill-backed Indian Hockey Federation’s professional league wouldn’t have the world body’s blessings.

Along with India, the 2016 Olympic Games hosts Brazil is high on FIH’s priority list. Like cricket in India, it’s football that hockey has to be deal with in South America. After India, Faiweather’s next stopover is US, where he is meeting some basketball officials to have a close look at 3-a-side basketball. Besides, he also has an eye on a new and simpler version of hockey called ‘quick sticks’ that is popular in England. In their hunt of more eye balls, hockey can’t turn its back on any innovation.