We can collectively do it – if we contribute individually Part I

Indian hockey is alive, just that it is not kicking. And it cannot continue to be on low for long. It’s only a question of time before the beautiful game bounces back.

It is not just a customary saying on the eve of yet another new year – certainly not just to sooth ourselves.

No. Not at all.

Leave the national news, forget for a moment the administrative woes, actual or contrived, look at the Indian horizon. Then you can see clearly how enough is happening on the hockey front. Those happenings are all for the good of the game we love the most, twinkling stars not radiating energy but captivating the eyes from above the skies.

About ten new synthetic turf grounds were laid – and a plan for 40 six-a-side turf grounds have truly taken off – all in 2008.

By the end of this year (2009), for instance, three new turfs will be available in Delhi and six around its periphery. This is mentioned just to bring home the point that what’s in store for us even in one city.

Government of Haryana will alone lay 8 turfs in 2009. The state has already five.

If you look around most of the provinces in the country, nearly the same thing is happening, and why?

The country is really shaken over the fact that enough is not done for hockey, enough to keep its vibrant tradition ticking. This realization has come in the political and bureaucratic set ups. I am sure about it.

Government of India has earmarked a whopping 28 crores for training men and women hockey teams till 2010 Commonwealth Games. This amount will be, I suppose, more than what the whole of Europe spends on hockey annually!

These are all, on economic parlance, pointers towards our governments make their bailout package for our hockey that is facing both recession and meltdown — of our own making.

Government of Punjab is committed to spend around Rs.3 crore each year to host the Punjab Gold Cup.

World Cup hockey has been confirmed for India.

These are just some samples.

We have no reasons to be pessimistic. If we are still so, it is wrong — better get rid of it in the good of hockey. There is every reason to be optimistic. Because, there are enough good things happening around us.

Yes, we expected a lot with the exit of previous regime. The newcomers did not measure upto our expectations.

But, are we surely say the previous regime has exited? No. Absolutely not. The present administrators cannot do certain things, cannot go full steam even if they are capable of and competent enough, because of the legal tangles that has been brought to bear upon them by the crooked minds who cobweb shortcuts to access hockey thrones.

Historically speaking, regimes changes never occurred overnight. It took three years for MAM Ramasamy to unseat the invisible hand of Ashwini Kumar in the mid 70s. It is just to quote the past, an example, certainly not to sing antithesis tune to the optimists. At the same time we are equally aware that India won it’s only world cup when an ad-hoc set up was running our hockey. The Indian Hockey federation not being in place is an academic exercise if the alternative arms including the ad-hoc committee work with a purpose.

Not all presidents of the IHF have gone the way gentleman RN Prasad left the scene once it is made out to him that he is no longer needed.

So, give benefit doubt to the adhoc committee. Let them perform or pave way for someone else to come into the administration constitutionally.

One thing we miss in the whole scenario is the will of the people

Please See the second Part II for the remainder.