The victorious Indian team at Dhaka

Photograph Courtesy : The Hindu

he 9-Nation Prime Minister's Gold Cup tournament was held at the Moulana Bashani National Stadium in Dhaka, from March 10 - March 20. This was the biggest hockey event in Bangladesh after the Asia Cup way back in 1985.

Sub-continental rivals India and Pakistan were expected to meet in the final. What a dream final it turned out to be, with Dileep Tirkey scoring the tying goal only 2 minutes from the end. After the two teams finished 3-3 at the end of regulation and overtime, the tie-breaker provided nerve-wracking drama till the last stroke.

Pakistan started their series badly with Sohail Abbas pushing the ball wide and Jude making an excellent save off Mohammed Sarwar. Baljit Singh Dhillon and Arjun Halappa converted to put India up 2-0.

The table were turned for the next couple of strokes as Haider and Waseem converted for Pakistan, while Inderjit Singh and Prabhjot Singh failed. With only the last round of strokes to go, the score was tied at 2-2.

Fate turned against Pakistan for their fifth stroke - Nadeem's push hit the post and spun away. All eyes were on Daljit Singh Dhillon as he took his position for the decider. Showing no hint of nerve, Daljit flicked the ball to the roof of the net, and the Indians began their celebration.

India's road to the championship was as follows:

Date	Result	Goal Scorers (India)	Man of the Match
Mar 11	India 5 - Scotland 1	Baljeet Singh Dhillon (2) Dhanraj Pillai (2) Deepak Thakur	Baljeet Singh Dhillon
Mar 13	India 3 - Japan 1	Dileep Tirkey (2) Baljeet Singh Dhillon	Dileep Tirkey
Mar 14	India 2 - Bangladesh 1	Baljeet Singh Dhillon Arjun Halappa	Arjun Halappa
Mar 18	India 8 - Egypt 0	Dhanraj Pillai Baljeet Singh Dhillon (2) Arjun Halappa (2) Deepak Thakur (2) Radhakrishnan	Dhanraj Pillai
Mar 20	India 6 (3) - Pakistan 5 (3)	Radhakrishnan (2) Dileep Tirkey ---------------- Baljeet Singh Dhillon Arjun Halappa Daljeet Singh Dhillon	Mohammed Usman

In 5 matches, India scored 24 goals and conceded 8 goals. Playing a match more, Pakistan scored 19 goals and conceded 13 from 6 matches. Baljit Singh Dhillon, India's captain, was declared the Player of the Tournament.

The Indian team members were:

Forwards : Dhanraj Pillai, Deepak Thakur, Prabhjot Singh, Inderjit Singh, Daljeet Singh Dhillon, Baljeet Singh Dhillon (captain)

Half-Backs : Arjun Halappa, Thirumala Valavan, Baljeet Singh Saini, Bipin Fernandes, Radhakrishnan

Backs : Dileep Tirkey, Lazrus Barla, Dinesh Nayak

Goalkeepers : Jude Menezes, Bharat Chetri

Team Officials : Cedric D'Souza, C. R. Kumar, S. Joseph and Dr. Siddhu

By Sanjeeb Kumar Das of The Times of India

ne day after winning the Prime Minister's Gold Cup tournament in Dhaka, the Indian hockey team returned to a quiet homecoming at Kolkatta airport. 

None of the kind of adulation, chaos and commotion that one gets to see every time Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly returns to the city, could be seen at the airport. What was even more galling was that a vast section of the media also preferred to skip the occasion.

Barring a couple of scribes, some hockey officials of the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA), and some former hockey players now working with the airport customs, no one else seemed to be bothered about the Indian hockey team's latest achievement.

So much for winning an international hockey tournament abroad - that too after beating an opponent as formidable as Pakistan in a cliff-hanger final!

Article Courtesy India.com

ce forward Dhanraj Pillai today ridiculed the media for its over-obsession with cricket, and accused it of failing to highlight India's win against Pakistan in the final of the Prime Minister's Gold Cup hockey tournament in Dhaka.

"I took the first flight out of Dhaka, and on reaching Kolkatta airport the next morning, I bought all the newspapers from the stands. But except in one paper, the report about India's win got relegated to obscurity," Pillai told reporters in Delhi. Pillai was being felicitated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Trust for his contributions to Indian hockey.

"For me, defeating Pakistan was a great honour, but it was sad that the media failed to take note of it," Pillai said. "True, V. V. S. Lakshman and Rahul Dravid played well for the country (in the second cricket test against Australia), but the Indian hockey team too did achieve something. Defeating Pakistan in a final was no mean feat."

n a country where sports has become equated with cricket, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar himself pointed this out in his column during the 1999 World Cup in Cricket.

In India, cricket is a passion to the detriment of other sports. Other talented sportspersons just do not get the exposure, leave alone the commercial opportunities that cricket gets. The Bhupathi-Paes victory in the French Open got only a few columns in the media, which is truly a pity for that is a fantastic achievement

Fast forward to 2001. Pullela Gopichand wins the All-England Badminton Championship, right when India and Australia are playing a 3-test series in cricket. This is what a sportslover based in Hyderabad, Sundar Srinivasan, sent in an open letter to the Hindu.

Title - Poor Editorial Judgement

Dear Sir,

It was extremely disappointing to note the paltry coverage given to the stupendous achievement of our rising badminton star - Pullela Gopichand's making it to the final of the All England badminton championships, in your edition dated March 11th 2001.

The only mention of sports news in the front page was a reminder that the next cricket test match was to begin in Kolkatta. How often have we seen the same kind of coverage as that given to cricket for an international hockey, badminton or football tournament? So much for popularizing other sports.

As a young boy, I remember reading front page news when Prakash Padukone was on the verge of his historic achievement. I'm sure it made many a youngster in this country aspire to do the same. What is the message that goes out to the youth of this country when you mention this achievement in passing on the bottom of page 19?

May I remind you that as a leading media newspaper, you have the responsibility of projecting & popularizing role models for the next generation to emulate. 

When state politics and populist fare are dished out on the front page, masking news about a rising star in the firmament of Indian sport, one can only conclude that the erstwhile lofty editorial standards have fallen.

It is a happy day for Indian sports, but a sad day for Indian sports journalism.

n India, whenever ESPN-Star does not show any form of cricket (test, one-day internationals, domestic cricket), it shows American football, American basketball (NBA) American college basketball (NCAA), European soccer, New Zealand rugby and ten pin bowling.

In a recent press release, ESPN-Star proudly states that it has acquired the India cable and satellite rights to the Formula One World Championship for 2001-2005. Star Sports India would broadcast the Formula One races live every fortnight, in addition to a range of support programmes including season preview and review shows.

In a nation of 1 billion people, will more fans watch Formula One racing or its national game of hockey. How come ESPN-Star has blacked out the India-Pakistan hockey series, a hot television property and a sure-fire ratings winner? 

When was the last time ESPN-Star telecast a 3-Nation or 4-Nation hockey tournament involving India. How about Commonwealth Games hockey? How about the Asian Games hockey? How about World Cup Hockey?

The truth of the matter is that the national game of both India and Pakistan, the second most popular game in the subcontinent after cricket, has been unfairly sidelined by ESPN - Star Sports.

f the 93 encounters between India and Pakistan on the hockey field, India have won 32, lost 44 and drawn 17.

Coach Cedric D'Souza maintained his unbeaten record against Pakistan in recent years. He coached the Indian sides that beat Pakistan 5-2 in 1995 (South Asian Federation Games, Chennai), drew with Pakistan 0-0 in 1996 (Olympic Games, Atlanta) and beat Pakistan 6-5 in 2001 (Gold Cup, Dhaka).

The last two times India met Pakistan in the final of a tournament, India went on to win both times to clinch the title; 5-2 in Chennai in 1995, and 6-5 at Dhaka in 2001.

The last two tournament victories by India have both come from tie-breakers. India won the 1998 Asian Games with Ashish Ballal saving two strokes, while India won the Gold Cup at Dhaka with Jude Menezes saving two strokes (and a third that hit the post).

 

ll matches of the 9-Nation Prime Minister's Gold Cup tournament in Dhaka were shown live on Bangladesh television. Doordarshan Sports and PTV also showed some matches.

In addition, Radio Pakistan broadcast running commentary on Pakistan's semifinal match against Japan on March 18, and the final against India on March 20.

By Jaydeep Basu of The Hindustan Times

he Air India National Hockey Academy, situated at Delhi's National Stadium, is widely regarded as the best hockey academy in Asia. 

Since the academy started in 1992, it has produced nearly 50 players who have represented India at either the senior and junior level. The academy's track record is as follows:

• Winner of the Junior National Championship (1999)
• 3 of its players were in the Indian Olympic team at Sydney (2000)
• 8 of its players were in the Indian Oil team which won the Nehru Tournament (2000)
• 5 of its players were in the Indian team for the test matches against Germany (2001)

The Academy is a joint venture between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Air India. SAI provides free accommodation, use of training facilities at the National Stadium, as well as a coach. Air India bears the expenses for food, education, kitting, equipment, travel, medical expenses and any administrative matters.

The present coach at the Academy is Ajay Kumar Bansal of SAI, posted since July 1995. The coordinator of the academy is Ramesh Nambiar of Air India. Two key people who have given full support to the Academy are Air India Managing Director Michael Mascarenhas and its Sports Control Board president Jitendra Bhargava.

The selection of 24 boys for every batch is held through open trials in Delhi, and based strictly on merit. Olympians like M. K. Kaushik, Zafar Iqbal and Harvinder Singh are the selectors. "Integrity of the selection process is one area where we never compromise," asserts Bansal.

At present, every major institutional hockey team in the country recruits players from the Air Indian Hockey Academy - often times before the player's 3-year stay is over. With the presence of hockey academies like Air India's in Delhi, and PSB's in Jalandhar, institutional hockey in India is in safe hands.

By Syed Muthahar of The Hindu

he Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) has established a hockey academy in the town of Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. 

Hockey used to be a major sport in Palayamkottai and the neighbouring Kovilpatti towns in the pre-independence era . Summer hockey coaching camps were a regular feature in Palayamkottai, and the hockey wizard Dhyan Chand himself had visited Palayamkottai early in the thirties to give a few tips to the boys attending one such camp.

The town of Palayamkottai even hosted an international match between India and France in 1965, at the famous VOC stadium located in the town-centre.

Acknowledging the special attachment of Palayamkottai towards hockey, the SDAT started a Hockey Academy in Palayamkottai in 1997, with an initial batch of 30 trainees. The SDAT spends Rs. 16,000 on each player per year, which includes two sets of tracksuits, two pairs of shoes and four jerseys. 

Training is imparted to the boys in the mornings and evenings for 300 days in an year. A sum of Rs. 10 is given to each trainee as daily travelling allowance. They are also given nutritious food (bread and eggs) during the sessions.

The progress of the boys is monitored for about a year, and if they fail to live upto expectations, they are dropped for the following year. At present, the Academy has 22 players - 16 college boys and 6 school boys.

Though there were no promising results for the first three years, year 2000 saw the Hockey Academy team fare exceptionally well in many state-level tournaments conducted in the southern districts.

The Tirunelveli district team, having 9 players from the Hockey Academy, won the State inter-district junior hockey tournament recently, after a lapse of 18 years. Two trainees made it to the Tamil Nadu team for the South Zone junior nationals, while another trainee represented the State in the all India rural nationals.

Mr. K. Xavier Jothi Sargunam, district hockey coach, is in charge of the Hockey Academy. According to him, the youths show a lot of promise, and if guided properly for the next few years, at least a few of them will don India colours. 

By Saurabh Biswas of The Times of India

ictor Banerjee, who acted in an Oscar-nominated movie, has picked up a hockey stick to play for the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CC & FC) Gremlins team in the third division of the Bengal Hockey Association league in Kolkatta. 

Victor is part of a celebrity lineup for the CC & FC side that includes former Olympians Gurbux Singh and Vece Paes (father of Leander Paes), former test cricketer Arun Lal and  ex-international footballer Pradeep Chowdhury.

"I started to play hockey at a young age. I used to play regularly for my school St. Edmonds at Shillong, and continued to play the game in my college St. Xavier's," reminisced Victor Banerjee.

"My father Captain S. N. Banerjee was a national player in 1951, and had the privilege to play alongside the stalwarts of that golden era."

After turning up for the Xavierians, Victor played for Entally AC in 1965. He then joined CC&FC team in 1967 . "I also used to play for Bombay Gymkhana during my stay in Mumbai," told Banerjee.

Victor Banerjee's love for the game is evident from his return to the hockey field after a long gap, and in spite of his busy schedule. 

In a city that still lacks an astro-turf stadium, CC&FC Gremlins can certainly act as a pathfinder to keep alive the craze for hockey in Kolkatta.

Errol D'Cruz is this edition's Visitor of the Month. As a journalist, he has an impressive record in covering hockey, having written for the Khaleej Times (Dubai), Gulf Times (Doha), Daily (Mumbai) and the Indian Express (Mumbai and Pune).

He currently works for India.com's sports channel, concentrating on hockey and soccer. This is what he wrote to BharatiyaHockey.org:

The 1972 Munich Olympics hockey tournament kindled an interest for hockey in me, after which it has been an enduring passion. I think that hockey is a magnificent sport in every facet. I feel very pleased that it is now played world-wide, and am proud that it was India which nurtured and spread the game globally.

I am concerned and anxious that we should consolidate hockey's position as a world sport, especially as an Olympic sport.

he highest paid athletes (both prize money and endorsements) for the year 2000, as per a list published in Forbes magazine, is given below:

Gender	Sportsman	Sport	Amount
Male	Michael Schumacher	Car Racing	$59 million
	Tiger Woods	Golf	$53 million
	Mike Tyson	Boxing	$48 million
	Michael Jordan	Basketball	$43 million
	Grant Hill	Basketball	$26 million
Female	Martina Hingis	Tennis	$11 million
	Anna Kournikova	Tennis	$10 million
	Venus Williams	Tennis	$10 million
	Serena Williams	Tennis	$7.5 million
	Lindsay Davenport	Tennis	$6 million

ndia clinched the third 5-nation Akbar El Youm international hockey tournament in Cairo, with a hard fought victory over hosts Egypt in the final. The Indians won 2-1 in extra-time, after the teams were level 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Manipur lad Brojan Singh (Indian Airlines) scored both the goals for India.

It was third time lucky for India, who had finished 2nd and 3rd in the first two editions respectively. This was the first international tournament victory for India in the new year.

India finished the tournament unbeaten. India's match results were as follows:

Date	Result
	India beat France 4-2
	India drew with Egypt 4-4
	India beat Belgium 4-1
March 1	India beat Kenya 6-0
March 2	India beat Egypt 2-1

The team was coached by Rajinder Singh (Delhi). Chhatrapal Singh of Uttar Pradesh was the assistant coach.