When India won a hockey match against Pakistan recently, everyone was very gung-ho about hockey's renewed prospects in India. The news was everywhere on TV, people had started updating their status messages on facebook, orkut and the new Buzz.
Though I am not very expectant when it comes to news channels, even they had conjured Hockey experts out of nowhere! There were endless discussions about the state of Indian Hockey, how in spite of being the national game, it doesn't get the same eyeballs and the same enthusiasm as cricket. The anchors and TV experts alike proclaimed that this victory has signaled a new beginning for hockey in our country.
I hardly think so!
First of all, I would confess that I am perhaps the most anti-sports kind of guy you will ever come across. Not because I think that it is worthless, I am a hardcore cricket fan, but for me gaming and sports will always be a secondary activity, a hobby at the most. I am not fiercely competitive, so it is really difficult for me to get excited about any game. Add to that my priority about the well-being of my bones and limbs, the idea of playing even cricket with anything harder than a rubber ball is out of question.
I don't even understand the fuss about excelling in sports, getting Olympic medals, etc. I mean do we have any justification for starting a new programme for the development of sporting skills in the country, when we have a very high percentage of children dropping out of schools, and even those, who do complete their studies, are not good enough to be employed. Whenever, India performs miserably in some International games, everyone from media to politicians to eminent personalities, ask the same question "Why can't a country of a billion people not secure a single Gold medal?" I ask them, wouldn't it be better, if we educate these billion people to become good engineers and managers, and outsource them to those countries (like Australia) where people happily grow up to become sportsmen. Afterall, for all our investment on infrastructure and coaching, only 10-11 people who go on to become international sportsmen will have an actual chance to improve their lifestyle. I believe that sports can become a valid career option only in a financially secure society; otherwise, even the great Dhyan Chand was impoverished in his last days!
And lastly, I think that the golden days of hockey are long gone, now we should let this burden of history slip away from our already over-burdened shoulders and let future take its course.
Instead, we know we are very good at cricket, so we should go all out and publicize it in other countries, provide more options and opportunities to domestic cricketers. If we are not good at something, why lament about it, just publicize aggressively what we are good at. Make cricket so big that hockey dies a slow death elsewhere in the world too.
Note: This article has been betaed by agamemnon
Though I am not very expectant when it comes to news channels, even they had conjured Hockey experts out of nowhere! There were endless discussions about the state of Indian Hockey, how in spite of being the national game, it doesn't get the same eyeballs and the same enthusiasm as cricket. The anchors and TV experts alike proclaimed that this victory has signaled a new beginning for hockey in our country.
I hardly think so!
First of all, I would confess that I am perhaps the most anti-sports kind of guy you will ever come across. Not because I think that it is worthless, I am a hardcore cricket fan, but for me gaming and sports will always be a secondary activity, a hobby at the most. I am not fiercely competitive, so it is really difficult for me to get excited about any game. Add to that my priority about the well-being of my bones and limbs, the idea of playing even cricket with anything harder than a rubber ball is out of question.
I don't even understand the fuss about excelling in sports, getting Olympic medals, etc. I mean do we have any justification for starting a new programme for the development of sporting skills in the country, when we have a very high percentage of children dropping out of schools, and even those, who do complete their studies, are not good enough to be employed. Whenever, India performs miserably in some International games, everyone from media to politicians to eminent personalities, ask the same question "Why can't a country of a billion people not secure a single Gold medal?" I ask them, wouldn't it be better, if we educate these billion people to become good engineers and managers, and outsource them to those countries (like Australia) where people happily grow up to become sportsmen. Afterall, for all our investment on infrastructure and coaching, only 10-11 people who go on to become international sportsmen will have an actual chance to improve their lifestyle. I believe that sports can become a valid career option only in a financially secure society; otherwise, even the great Dhyan Chand was impoverished in his last days!
And lastly, I think that the golden days of hockey are long gone, now we should let this burden of history slip away from our already over-burdened shoulders and let future take its course.
Instead, we know we are very good at cricket, so we should go all out and publicize it in other countries, provide more options and opportunities to domestic cricketers. If we are not good at something, why lament about it, just publicize aggressively what we are good at. Make cricket so big that hockey dies a slow death elsewhere in the world too.
Note: This article has been betaed by agamemnon
well payoj i like the way u have put ur thoughts regarding sports..
ReplyDeletewhat i believe a country's overall dovelopment is depicted not only by its per capita,no of engg. or doctors etc.but the main point is the well being i.e,health of the persons living in that country which in turn is a directly reflected in its sporting capabilities...and as far as sports is concerned i don't think cricket is any sort of sort of sport its just f***ing time waste...
well i agree to ur point that hockey is losing its ground..but i think we should promote other spots like athletics,football etc. and prove the world we r not only intellectually which the world knows off course but physically sound also.....
mayank
Hmmm..Ididn't think of that. I completely agree with your point that a country's development must also take into account the physical well-being of its people, and that's why we sholud always encourage children to play outdoor games, and of course football is a much better sport as a physical exercise compared to cricket, but if a child wants to have a future in these alternative sports, are we in a position to provide him that kind of infrastructure to let him develop his skill?? Not at present...Right now, we can make do with developing good roads, and making schools for him to study, because this will ensure the future of a thousand children...
ReplyDeleteAlso, I do not think more no. of medals will necessarily make the world think that we are physically sound,(It may be true for a country like U.S.A, or U.K. but not in malnourished India) as is the case with African countries with a larger share of medals and malnourishment...
well forget about hockey or any sport for that sake.India at large is not a sporting country atleast not like Australia. we play cricket because its easy can be played easily any were buy any no of people on almost any type of surface. we watch cricket because we want india to win ...we dont watch hockey because india does nt win in dat ....we can watch any game if our country wins ...and close tv sets for any game in which india losses ...sports in any country can grap a foothold wn pple der apriciate game and seprate god game from bad and not der team from another.
ReplyDeletesports is something that is ment for transcending the feelings of nationalism and regionalism.....
no doubt we all have our favourites..but we must also learn to appreciate others if they play well only then will sports be able to survive in india .....as it has in countries like australia....gavaskar and sachin after a graet knock get a satanding avation in lords and melauborne .....but ponting only gets hooting in our country no matter hoe he plays......
at last i would just say respect game and players nt just the team.....