Hockey…my other love!!!

Posted on March 10, 2010 | 2 views

News Update from Other Blogs Around the world

Amidst the countdown to IPL’s third edition, the premier event of our National Sport – hockey – is being staged in the national capital from February 28 to March 13, 2010. Most of us keep a ‘close ear’, if not a ‘close eye’, on sporting events other than cricket that involve national pride. That’s precisely how the IHF Hockey World Cup 2010 was being received, but something was waiting to change that response and pull Indian chins towards it.

Our opening match was against arch-rivals Pakistan yesterday and one could smell that while everyone was interested, many kept their support under wraps to wait and see how the team kicks off its campaign. The result of the match is no longer a mystery. An attacking India mauled Pakistan 4-1 but I have no doubt whatsoever that had we lost, the support would have dwindled, badly.

While it shouldn’t be like that, our 11th rank in the world hardly adds muscle to Indian hopes. I was there during this historic moment on February 28, 2010, and could feel the change in the air with every passing moment that took Indian hockey closer to what it needed the most – a big win. It was the most well-timed victory for India in hockey in the recent years and couldn’t have come against a more ‘wanted’ opponent in Pakistan.

While on my way back home on board Delhi Metro, it was so heartening to see most of my fellow riders – who happened to be my co-spectators at the ground – talking hockey and NOT cricket. While one group was talking about Gurwinder Singh Chandi’s missed chances, another one was all praise for Sandeep Singh who scored a brace through his drag-flick expertise on short corners. To complete the tally, Shivender Singh and Prabhjot Singh were the other two marksmen for India while Sohail Abbas pulled one back for Pakistan to complete an emphatic 4-1 scoreline in favor of India.

Many regarded it as India’s revenge for the 7-1 defeat Pakistan inflicted during the Asian Games in 1982. There may have been many more wounds few and far in between that buried India’s ‘unbeatable’ status into the history books but this is not the time to ponder on those. If there was a time when we Indians can bring our National Game back from the brink of extinction, it’s now! Don’t stop yourself this time to avoid repenting later!

As a footnote about how hockey is my other love, it was one of my sporting crushes that happened simultaneously with cricket. While I wasn’t so lucky in playing any competitive cricket, I got the chance to play hockey during my schooldays, at times at the same National Stadium that is now host to the FIH World Cup 2010.