SATURDAY 24 Feb,2001:

“Only today I came to know. Somebody in Doordarshan called me up and querried whether I could go to Mumbai and cover the Test match for them. I asked, what Test?. Then only I came to know India is to play against Germany in a hockey series. It is rediculous. What Federation, press are doing? I see every information on every sport in press and television. Then why nothing about hockey? We played for the country. We have contributed to the country. Hockey is our sport. Why does everyone neglect it?”

These are the words of Olympian and former India captain Zafar Iqbal. He anguished this way at the press conference convened by the so-called Indian Hockey Confederation. Unfortunately, he had to direct these questions at hapless Mrs. Vidya Stokes and Amrit Bose respectively Executive Chairman and Secretary General of the IHC. For, the man who should have answered, KPS Gill, president, IHF, had left the press meet within five minutes after it commenced as he had `some other works.’

Had Mr. Gill been present to hear him, we would have certainly got some characteritic `wisdom’ from the president. But there is no escape from the reality. The silence(lack of information) surrounding the team, schedule and the total neglect of the event by television channels and print media is baffling even if one goes by the normal Indian standards. Zafar in this respect was perfectly correct. Hardly 48 hours are left for the test to commence at Mumbai. Still, no one is given the team list (That this site managed everything at a colossal cost input is a different matter).

A handful of journalists assembled there were also wonderstruck on infomation black out – though it’s not first time – that the things can go to this extent. Added to the woes were the replies given by omnipresence Bose to some of the queries on the Series, which only exposed her ignorance. This writer had to at least intervene once to say her not to at least misinform the press. This was warrented because she tried to waterdown the Series. She said:”This is not an important one. Because, this is some festival type of contact, not an international one.” A veteran journalist, who edits a monthly magazine, interrupted to tell her, “Madam, you did not seem to have done your homework.”

Though it’s true the exchange of teams is part of the ongoing India Festival in Germany, but in the past team had taken part in tournament of significance on these lines. The Russia teams that had participated in the Indira Cup at Lucknow in 1989 and at Delhi in 1991 came under Protocal procedures whereby the travel expenses were borne by the respective Governments not by the tournament/series organisers. This is the case in respect of the coming Indo-German Series too. Only concern here is failure on the part of both Federations to nominate netural umpires.

Thereafter, she had abruptly wound up the discussion and declared that ‘I am not supposed to talk on their(men’s) matters.

When one journalist from a news agency brought the attention of Mrs. Stokes that despite trying to get some information during the Olympics there was no response from IWHF, Zafar quipped,” All must have been at Sydney.”