- Not so long ago, hockey had carved an unassailable place in the nation’s sporting firmament that cannot be either disputed or questioned. That Hockey India is the most successful team ever in the Olympics having won eight gold medals might not be known to the present generation. Can’t blame them either since the younger lot are brought up on a regular diet of condescension and cynical outlook towards all sports in general, except Cricket. With such a glorious past and exemplary history associated with the sport, why and how Hockey slipped away into relative oblivion so spectacularly and ignominiously over the last few decades needs honest introspection. Coincidentally, the amazing rise and Himalayan popularity of Cricket directly coincided with the fall of Hockey from the collective conscience of patrons. And the struggle to reinvent began since then.
PC: Khel Now
- Despite concerted efforts from different quarters, it failed to spruce up the national sport which once enjoyed such a huge following. Hockey in India touched its nadir when it failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games. Followed by a dreary campaign in London in 2012. That Indian men’s team finished abysmal 8th and the women’s team 12th in Rio Olympic in 2016 hardly inspired diehard fans or for that matter general populace. Most notably, Tokyo marked the first back-to-back Olympic qualification. Thus, a ray of hope is appearing on the horizon. It happens so rarely here as men’s and women’s Hockey teams are showing radical improvement in their performances in a tough global sporting arena. It’s a welcome change indeed.
- The pandemic-induced restrictions did hamper the preparations and the credible performances do ignite hopes of better tidings soon. It is an extremely gratifying and proud moment for the entire country as the men’s team has won a bronze medal after 41 years in the ongoing Tokyo Games after showcasing never say die attitude and superb fighting spirits right through. The women’s team has finished a credible fourth position having disastrously started the campaign. Note that women were ranked fourth from the bottom among Tokyo’s teams, and they have finished in the top four shows a dramatic scale of improvement. It is no less than inspirational to comprehend how Indian hockey clawed its way out from decades of despair.
PC: FPJ Bureau
- Moments such as these are the ones that bind the nation and the outpouring of joy as the men’s hockey team won the bronze medal contest speaks volumes about how treasurable this win means to us. Indian hockey needs to sustain this momentum and what better way than ensuring long-term investments from both the government as well as corporates into the game. Make no mistake, the country owes a big thank you to the Odisha government – especially the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, an ex-hockey goalkeeper himself- for sponsoring both the men’s and women’s teams since 2018. The present young generation will be electrified now and hockey as a sport must pick up from the grassroots. Hopefully, pumping in more money and attractive sponsorships would do wonders for the sport for sure.
