Yet another story II

Hey hi,

Remember me???

Its okay,I wont feel bad if you didn't…

We talked that day..remember???

Oh,sorry,more like,I spoke that day.You were really patient.Gave me all ears.Thanks.

I am really happy today.

You say you are not!!!

Why??

Oh,we couldn't qualify for the olympics right?First time in 80 years,a country which went bare feet to Australia in 1928 and shattered all preconcieved notions against us being considered a weak nation,a nation under chains of slavery.We won the gold medal there.No shoes,no kits,no hockey federation,and I doubt if they had a coach.

What happened now you think?

We had kits,foriegn coach,"The Indian hockey federation",everything.What went missing then?

But that doesn't answers why am I happy right?After all I was blowing trumphet of being a hockey player and all,one who wanted to see Indian hockey grow,flourish and reach those golden hieghts again.You know what,I found the answer today,to all my questions,all of them.

"Saddest day in the history of Indian hockey"

"Moment of shame"

"The sponsors of the Indian Hockey team likely to shy away from the team"

"Indian hockey plunges to a new low"

Oh,these,yes,they are the pointers which gave me the answers,not only about the Indian hockey team,it told me what the reality was,and how quixotic I was being by living in a darn pretense.

These were the headlines from the leading newspapers who shouted today till they lost their breath,after we lost and couldn't qualify for the olympics (WE lost,sounds kinda out of place?I have heard this a lot of times when we lost a cricket match,so i thought we would associate ourselves with the line).

What they gave me were my answers.Answers to questions which are still unclear in my mind.

"Moment of shame"???Did any of the newspapers wrote a word of praise on the main sports page when we literally muscled mexico,russia,chile,do they even remember when we won the Asia cup?

Sponsors are gonna shy away??How many do we have??Just one…

"At the Hockey Australia Men's Challenge, in Perth and Sydney, and the four-nation tournament in Hamburg, which India won, the team was without asponsor."(www.rediff.com/sports/2003/jul/09hockey1.htm ).

Yes we got sahara finally,30 million for 3 years,I won't compare it to other sports,but god knows how much did the team got.

"Sponsor's demands curtail training camp",This happened at the national training camp in lucknow,for the national team rearing to go for some international tournament.(in.rediff.com/sports/2003/aug/09hock1.htm )

Interesting right??Wanna know the reason…

"Because the players had to attend felicitations and functions charted out by the new sponsor of Indian hockey, Sahara India, which was also the camp host."(in.rediff.com/sports/2003/aug/09hock1.htm )

And the last quote about Indian hockey plunging comes straight from the head of IHF,KPS Gill,who is still not ready to resign.

And that brings me to the core of it.

Why should he?Why should sponsors pass on large sums of money to Indian hockey?Why shouldn't press sling mud and highlight only the defeats on the front page?

When the whole nation has forgotten this sport,junta who gets jolted only for a minute or two (probably jolted is an exaggeration,read as a feeble sound of Oh,We lost again!!!!) and gets up,just to mock about the incompetency of the team and comparing them with other smaller nations,why should anyone else be bothered?Let's be absolutely candid about this,we a nation of 100 crores do not care about this sport at all.We don't care if we have a team,or a coach or infrastructure to develop this sport at the ground level.Why point selected few?Why point at the government?Why media and why KPS Gill and Jothikumaran should be held accountable.They have the same attitude as I have,as you have.

I am happy because I felt the slap hard enough on my face to snap myself out of the dream of fancies,wishful thoughts and nostalgia.

I have seen a clean slate today.

Today the Indian hockey starts again,for the first time,without anything,no kits,no expectations,no support,NOTHING!!!!

And I am bloody proud of it.And yes,I am happy.

Let them take away the government support,the sponsors,the media coverage.Let the Indian hockey be stripped of everything but the flame,the flame of a little oil lamp flickering,waxing and waning but not dying.Holding on,only to become more strong,bright and eternal.

I am happy,and from today onwards I won't be hurt at all,I promise to myself I won't.

And if i could only say this to the team,don't let yourself get hurt…Never Ever!!!!!