inal placings: 1. Netherlands 2. Spain 3. Germany 4. Australia 5. Pakistan 6. England 7. South Korea 8. Canada 9. India 10. New Zealand 11. Malaysia and 12. Poland.

Post-Mortem: India came last in its pool, had the least number of Goals For (6), and the maximum number of Goals Against (17). At the end of the league stage, individuals like Australia's Jay Stacy (11 goals) and Germany's Oliver Domke (7 goals) scored more than the entire Indian team (6 goals).

Heads Should Roll: The process now starts for identifying the usual suspects for India's debacle. Coach Bhaskaran has to go for making the critical mistake of not taking Anjaparavanda Subbaiah (268 internationals) in the team. Instead, he picked two goalkeepers (Jude Menezes and Jagdish Ponappa) with less than 10 big matches between them. Jude Menezes has been in and out since the 1995 SAF Games. While Subbaiah was the Man of the Match in two tests against Pakistan, Jagdish Ponnappa was not even played for a single game in the 8-match series against Pakistan. Subbaiah's only crime was that he asked for money due to the players.

Cedric D'Souza had to go for bringing India to its worst ever 8th position in the Atlanta Games. Pargat Singh came and went in the blink of an eye. Bhaskaran has to suffer a similar fate since every job is performance-oriented. Bhaskaran did not deliver both on the offense (least goals scored) and defence (inexperienced goalkeepers conceding goal after goal). It is time to go for a foreign coach - Jorritsma (Holland), Lissek (Germany), Terry Walsh (Australia). Give it an honest try for the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

A final point: For every player who is dropped, two officials have to be sacrificed. What hockey experience do the officials have anyway. Here is calling all IHF officials - if you have made enough money for yourself out of our national game, go scram. The long arm of accountablity has to extend to officials too.

inal placings: 1. Australia 2. Holland 3.Germany 4.Argentina 5.South Korea 6.New Zealand 7. South Africa 8. United States 9. England 10. Scotland 11.China 12. India.

Post-Mortem: India came last in its pool, had the least number of Goals For (4), and the maximum number of Goals Against (14). At the end of the league stage, individuals like Australia's Alyson Annan (7 goals) and South Africa's Pietie Coetzee (7 goals) scored more than the entire Indian team (4 goals).

Coach Col. Balbir Singh has to go for non-performance. The signs were already there during their pre-World Cup tour of Europe and America, where the women's team did not win a single match. The coach conveniently blamed it on sickness of the players, instead of focussing on the team's weaknesses and poor scoring. When will India get a no-excuses no-nonsense coach like Ric Charlesworth?

he FIH has failed miserably in marketing the World Cup on television. Out of 16 competing nations, only 5 countries had live or tape-delayed television coverage. The blame should be equally shared by Alan Pascoe International (API), who have the worldwide rights to market the television coverage of the World Cup, and the FIH Communications Manager (comm@FIHockey.org ), who is in charge of marketing on television. This is the sorry tale of World Cup coverage:

Africa

• South Africa - None

America

• Argentina - live coverage (early hours of the morning)
• USA, Canada - API did not even bother to try

Asia

• India - through ESPN India / ESPN Asia but not on Doordarshan
• Pakistan, Malaysia, China, South Korea - None

Asia-Pacific

• Australia - Channel 9, highlights only in news bulletins and Wide World of Sports.
• New Zealand - None

Europe

• Holland - NOS (on TV2)
• Spain - ETV
• England, Scotland , Germany, Poland - None

The biggest way this affects the World Cup is in the prize money awarded to the different countries. The FIH has to learn effective TV marketing from cricket. The total prize money for the 1999 World Cup Cricket is $1 million. The cost of just the trophy of the 1999 World Cup Cricket is $45,100. National broadcasters like Doordarshan (India), PTV (Pakistan) and Rupavahini (Sri Lanka) have the rights for their respective countries. The telecast of each games brings in millions of fans glued to the TV sets. That is the single biggest lesson that the FIH, sitting in an ivory tower in Brussels, has to learn from the International Cricket Council.

ey Indian sports fans, did you know that Sportstar has renamed itself to CricketStar. How else can one explain that in the month preceding the hockey World Cup, they had four successive cover stories on cricket, cricket and more cricket. Don't believe it? See for yourself.

Finally the cricket-blinkered editors of Sportstar realized their mistake, and decided to do a cover story on the World Cup. Entitled 'The Kick of Goals', it was a special issue on - the Football World Cup! God save Indian hockey fans.

he Indian men's team lost. The Indian women's team lost. The Indian veteran's team lost. The only success for the Indian contingent in Utrecht was in the media elections to the executive committee of the hockey commission of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS).

S Thyagarajan, hockey correspondent of The Hindu was elected Chairman of AIPS hockey commission, while Prabhjot Singh, of Tribune was elected vice-chairman of the commission. This is the first time in the history of AIPS hockey commission that Indians have been elected chairman and vice chairman. Thyagrajan scored over Farook Mazhar of Pakistan in the elections. And the support for the Indians came from the British, the Germans, a lone Pole and a Japanese, besides, off course, AIPS members from India.

However, in the FIH executive board for the next four year, no Indian member finds a place. FIH President Juan Agnel Calzado, FIH secretary Els Van Breda Vriesman, Robert Lycke (FIH), Peter Crane (England), Leandro Negre (Spain), Sue Neill (Canada), Gamal Shirazi (Egypt), Hardayal Singh (Kenya), Pam Tye (Australia) and Muneoshi Ueda (Japan) consititute the board.

he Canadians, who had impressed in the pool stages beating India 4-1 and drawing 4-4 with semi-finalists Germany, looked a shadow of the side without veteran midfielder Alan Brahmst, who had been suspended for swearing and making obscene gestures at the Indians following their match on Thursday.

"F*** you for Barcelona!" Brahmst screamed at Anil Aldrin, one of the Indians who had played in Barcelona. Brahmst preferred to vent his spleen at the Indians rather than join his teammates in a deserved lap of honour. He carried on his tirade, making obscene gestures and mouthing further obscenities at a bemused and depressed Indian bench. Captain Dhanraj Pillai intervened. "Why don't you stop it. Look at the score, you won, isn't that enough?" Pillay asked.

Brahmst, along with the manager, Shiaz Virjee, sent a written apology to the tournament director after the incident. "We were on a roll until the suspension," coach Shiraz Virjee said. "It hit us emotionally and ruined a lot of our game plan." Virjee, like several of the Canadian players, ignored Brahmst after he came down to the bench at the end of the match.

nternational Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, said, on Sunday, hockey would be part of the Olympic programme forever and committed to increase the number of women's teams for future Olympics.

Speaking at a luncheon held during the Rabobank International hockey World Cup, he said he was committed to increasing the number of women's teams to 12 for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In Atlanta there were eight teams and the number has been increased to ten for the Sydney Games.

He said that previously media reports questioned the strength of hockey in the Olympic programme, but that "the situation is really different now. Every sport must be fit for spectators and television so maybe you should change your rules," he advised.

n the wake of the nuclear tests and the state of emergency in Pakistan, the 1998 Champions Trophy to be held at Lahore in October has been thrown in jeopardy. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) was monitoring the situation closely, according to FIH chief Calzado.

The FIH president was 'deeply concerned over the prevailing situation in Pakistan and the declaration of emergency,' and expressed doubts whether the prestigious bi-annual event could be held in Pakistan. "For the moment, we will keep in touch with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Akhtar Rasool (PHF president) has informed that on his return to Pakistan after the World Cup, he will assess the situation and will keep us posted of the developments," the FIH president said.

FIH secretary-general Els van Breda Vriesman intervened to say, "Pakistan have the right to conduct Champions Trophy once every three years. This being the rotation year for Pakistan, we have no alternative site in case it could not be held in Pakistan, for any reason, this year."

r. Kanwar Pal Singh Gill was re-elected president in the IHF elections held at Hyderabad on May 10, 1998. In a remarkable turnaround, IGP-Chandigarh, Mr. Chandrashekhar, the man who was the opposition candidate to challenge Gill, instead proposed Gill's name for a second term. In the compromise, Chandrashekar was given the newly created post of Senior Vice President. Mr. Gurmeet Singh Sodhi was the IOA observer for the IHF elections.

Challenging Gill initially was the politician son of Prakash Singh Badal - Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the union minister of state for industries. Punjab Hockey Association secretary Hardip Singh Dhillon had stepped down from his post and Badal (Junior) was elected in his place to lend greater weight to his candidature. However, Sukhbir Singh Badal stepped down at the last minute.

The IHF elections were held just 10 days before the World Cup. This is because a dismal performance by India in the World Cup would have led to demands for a complete shake up of Indian Hockey from top to bottom. By having the elections before the World Cup, K. P. S. Gill and his cronies would ensure another 4 years for themselves.

Mr. Jyothikumaran has been discarded from the panel of members to represent the IHF at the IOA meetings. Also, newly elected Vice-President Balakrishnan of Indian Airlines will now supervise the working of the secretariat, thus cutting down Jyothikumaran's frequent air trips to the Capital.

The following is the list of IHF officials. Fans, ask the following questions of each - how many have actually played international hockey, how much money did each make for themselves from the game, how many foreign trips did each person make, and oops, almost forgot, how many national tournaments did each person conduct

President: Mr. K. P. S. Gill, Senior Vice President: Mr. Chandrashekhar (Chandigarh), Vice Presidents: Gurusevak Singh (Patiala), D. S. Murthy (Karnataka), M. S. Malik (Haryana), J. Jesudanam (Andhra), H. J. Dora (Hyderabad), Aslam Khan (UP), Vice President (Administration): M. S. Balakrishnan (Indian Airlines), Secretary General: K. Jyothikumaran. (Tamil Nadu), Treasurer: J. N. Tyagi (UP), Joint Secretaries: Siddiqui (Services), G. Satyanarayana (Hyderabad), S. P. Das (Himachal Pradesh).

Executive Committee Members: K. Krishnamurthy (Karnataka), Aftabuddin (Bhopal), Mohinder Singh (Manipur), K. Sahoo (Nagaland), Balraj Ahir (Vidarbha), Satpathi (Orissa), Kuldeep Singh (Universities), K. L. Passi (Bombay), Sunny Francis (Kerala), F. Lawrenkima (Mizoram).

Chairmen of Committees: Competitions: J. Jesudanam, Finance: H. S. Kharbanda, Umpiring: Gurbux Singh, Development: M. S. Mali, Disciplinary: Major General Menon, Administration: M. S. Balakrishnan, Selection: K. P. S. Gill, Deputy Chairman Selection: I. M. Mahajan. Technical Chairman: K. Mahanta.

esser men than K. P. S. Gill have ruled the IHF and used the federation as a means to their selfish ends. The onus is now on Gill to rise above mediocrity and prove that he is the "captain" of Indian hockey, and not just in name. Here is the report card on his regime.

Plus Points

• The Indian team participated in as many as 38 tournaments abroad in the last four years. Also, India conducted the prestigious Champions Trophy in Chennai (1996), the SAF Games in Chennai (1995) in which hockey was included for the first time, and the Indo-Pak Test series was revived (1998).
  
• The IHF signed a deal with Doordarshan which gave it a revenue of Rs. 5 lakhs for live telecast of every international or Grade A match. The IHF was also successful in roping in sponsorship from the Kubers for the Champions Trophy.
  
• K. P. S. Gill brought with him stature, connections, a touch of glamour and awe. This was necessary to put back hockey in the media limelight.

Minus Points

• 1994 was the last time the Indian team players were paid voluntarily by the IHF - each player received Rs. 25,000 on coming 5th in the World Cup at Sydney. Jyothikumaran promised to pay Rs 25,000 to each player during the Champions Trophy held at Chennai, but had not paid the amount till date. The IHF was forced to pay Rs 20,000 for the recently concluded Indo-Pak hockey Test series and the home and away series only after the players staged an agitation before they left for Pakistan.
  
• The National Coaches were not reimbursed for months on end; the Karnataka Association was left in the lurch with the promised Rs 12.5 lakhs not forthcoming from the IHF; a couple of teams were sent abroad without sufficient funds to meet immediate daily expenses, causing considerable embarrassment all round. In glaring contrast, considerable amount of money was spent on officials who were nothing more than tourists.
  
• The K. P. S. Gill and Jyothikumaran lobby has, in the last four years, conducted the senior National and the Federation Cup once ,the junior nationals twice and the sub-junior nationals once. More than once Mr. Gill described National hockey as mediocrity meeting mediocrity. A move to introduce a National Hockey League (NHL) was kicked out by Gill who went back on his words after first approving the concept. Unforgettable was his statement in Milton Keynes last year, when, during a press conference, he replied: "National League? A waste of time.'' It is his responsibility to make it otherwise. He should take a leaf from the Philips National Football League in a sport in which we are 105th in the world.
  
• But for the fifth position in the Sydney World Cup in 1994, the 1997 junior World Cup runner-up performance by the junior team and victory in the Azlan Shah Trophy (1995), nothing could be achieved in the 38 tours abroad. And who is to be blamed for the losses - the coaches. Within a few weeks after Gill took charge, the head of coach Zafar Iqbal rolled, in the wake of the Hiroshima Asiad loss. In the furore over the Atlanta Olympics debacle (worst ever 8th place finish), Cedric D'Souza was eased out of his post. But how about say removing Jyothikumaran from his post for our losses.
  
  

nside-left Inder Singh, who represented India in the 1966 Asian Games and the 1968 Olympics, is now happily settled in Italy. 30 years ago, Inder took six months leave from his employers, Northern Railway, and left for Italy where he found himself playing for the No. 1 club in Rome, MDA. At the same time, Inder also began coaching the Italian junior team. He even played for a season in Hamburg in 1970, but found the weather disconcerting and was back in Italy with the MDA.

Three years later, Inder shifted to a small town Bra, near Torino, and joined Hockey Lorenzoni Bra, one of the premier first division clubs in Italy. The club was started by Agasto Lorenzini, manager of the Italian athletics squad in Rome Olympics. Lorenzini was mesmerised by the Indian hockey team's performance in 1960, and started the club to promote hockey in Italy.

Inder settled down as a player-coach in Bra, and later, got into garments exports and married an Italian girl, Gianna Fissore, who played for the women's squad in Bra. "By that time I was convinced Italy was going to be my home,'' says Inder, who still retains his Indian citizenship.

Inder Singh, now vice president of his club, has this to say on the fitness level of the Indian team. "I used to run 10 km daily with a stick and ball from Pusa Road to Dhaula Kuan, alternating my pace. It helped me tremendously. I was later told that even K. D. Singh Babu used the same technique. Can you point out a single player who would put in a similar effort today?'' he asks.

Inder feels that to excel in modern hockey, India would have to opt for a foreign coach to prepare a team for the Sydney Olympics. "The Indian juniors are a good side. Give them a qualified, foreign coach, stick to the same combination and results are bound to come," he signed off.

his was among the various letters received by India Field Hockey on the debacle in the World Cup. This is from Sunny Dhaliwal of Canada.

The Indian performance in the World Cup is an embarrasment for the entire country. The results were clear even before the World Cup started. Hockey as we knew it is dying in India. The masters of hockey are now begging for help. Slowly but surely, this game will become history in Bharat.

Living in Canada, we were totally shocked watching India losing to the countries, whom we taught this game. We don't select players on the basis of the merit, the personal likings of the selectors are considered more important.

The Indians play selfish and solo hockey and team work is missing. No emotions are witnessed in the 16 players, who represent India. I do not understand why we are so reluctant to bring foreign coaches. The IHF is sleeping. Bhaskaran should resign because he couldn't deliver on the job assigned to him. He can't make the excuse of being short on the time for the preparations.

The Indian hockey fans around the world find Mr.Gill's remarks amusing that we are aiming to win the gold in Sydney, and the World Cup is a preparation towards that step. I think we will be lucky enough to see the team survive Sydney.

In the opinion of major hockey analysts world-wide, the Indian team is still a threat but their fitness level is pulling them back. I doubt if any of the player on the present team can run 3000m under 10 minutes. Penalty corners are another area which plague this team. We have to explore the vast pool of talent in our country to restore the confidence in the hockey system of India.

We can't let the corruption and "safarish" keep on dominating the selection procedure. I am deeply sad over the performance of the Indian team. I can only pray for a return of the golden moments of Indian hockey. We need more Dhyan Chands, Ajitpals, K.D.s and many others, who could be still produced. We need a network of scouting throughout the country to pick the best out there. A programme is required.

Please, please do something before the next generation picks up the coffin of Indian Hockey.