Now, junior women suffer apathy
3 Jul 2009

NEW DELHI: In January, they were left to fend for themselves on the streets of Sydney. A week back, the Indian women’s hockey development (junior)
team was forced to run from pillar to post, either trying to get transit visas or avoid long hours at the airports during their tour of New Zealand. It was a case of absolute apathy that pushed the team to the brink of disaster.

This happened just a few days after the senior women’s team’s departure for the Champions Challenge II in Kazan (Russia) was delayed by a day due to transit visa problem. Clearly, there’s no end to Hockey India’s discomfiture as they have been hit by one organisational lapse after another.

The problems for the junior team started at the time of departure from New Delhi on June 16 as the team doctor and videographer were denied government clearance. However, for coach Sandeep Somesh and trainer R Gandhi, this was a minor niggle as they were hit by one tidal wave after another en route to New Zealand.

According to Hockey India sources, the trouble began in Bangkok where the team was denied permission to board the flight to Christchurch. The reason: the flight was routed through Sydney and the team did not have transit visas to Australia.

“The coach sought the help of an Australian consulate official who happened to be at the airport but before he could sort things out, they missed the flight. Again it took another round of pleading and persuading at the airport before the team boarded a midnight flight to Christchurch.”

India did not play their first match of the test series against a New Zealand XI, having reached Christchurch a little too late on June 17. They did, however, squeeze in four matches — all of which they lost — before the visa drama unfolded again. With the Indians scheduled to touch down in Sydney on their return journey too, Somesh was forced to spend a considerable amount of time trying to arrange for transit visas.

“But he was in for a shock as the Indian High Commission slammed the door on him. It was left to the travel agent in New Delhi to re-route the tickets. The team left New Zealand a day late and had to spend nearly half a day at the Bangkok airport again, waiting for their connecting flight,” the sources said.

There again, the travel arrangements were poor and the team had to endure an entire night at the airport before it boarded the flight back to India.

“It was yet another example of poor planning. The coach had little time to spare for the team as he was busy solving too many problems. The trainer doubled as a videographer, trying his best to get some footage for future analysis. In New Zealand, the team had to depend on the host team’s physio for help after one of their players — Lalrimruati — was injured.

Imagine, the team was on one of its preparatory tours for the Junior World Cup. It’s a shame.