Photo - 1928 Indian Olympic Hockey Team
Article by Shobhan Saxena of Times of India

he sport of hockey still dominates street conversations in parts of India. The chatter brings to life images and sounds and legends and myths from the past:

In the age of slam-bang cricket, hockey gets equated with history. Hockey belongs to the past, say cricket junkies, while the gentlemen's game belongs to the future.

Not true. For millions of Indians, particularly those living on the margins, the game is still a living force. In the tribal belts of Orissa and Jharkhand, it not only binds the tribal communities, it also opens doors to public sector jobs. Tournaments are organised by villagers where hundreds of teams compete with each other on a hard, bouncy surface.

In Coorg, tens of dozens of local family teams take part in an annual hockey tournaments, while in the villages of Punjab, Haryana and parts of Northeast, this has been going on for decades. In the suburb of Bandra in Mumbai, it's on the hockey field that men socialise and make life-long bonds.

Says former India captain M. M. Somaya, "Hockey is a robust game which needs both physical stamina and mental discipline. It comes naturally to working-class people, and we developed our own style of playing hockey. Cricket has become popular because it has been promoted by the board and marketed on television, but hockey became our national game without any marketing gimmicks."

Hockey has been, and still is, Indias national game, because it has alway been more inclusive and more representative of real India than any other sport.

Though no study has been done yet on the sociological aspect of hockey, its difficult to miss the fact that the game has been dominated by minorities: Ango-Indians, Jat Sikhs from Punjab, Muslims from Uttar Pradesh and Bhopal, Catholics from Mumbai and Mangalore, and tribals from the Orissa-Jharkhand heartland. Even the Northeast has produced players like Thoiba Singh.

Indian hockey has been a great social equaliser. According to S. Anand, the publisher of Navayana books, one can't miss the caste equations in sports. Hockey is predominantly played by Other Backward Classes, Dalits, Adivasis and Sikhs, who are used to sweating it out.

The hockey team that played in the 2002 Asian Games did not have a single Brahmin player. The Brahmins, says Anand, have traditionally played cricket because its a softer, non-contact sport. A cultural equivalent of this can be found in the US, where 80% of NBA basketball players are black, whereas 80% of baseball players are white.

Sociologist Shiv Vishvanathan argues that if you see India as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural country, hockey is the true national game of India, not cricket, which is more a product of the new economy and its demands, like live television and sponsorship money.

The demographic composition of the Indian hockey team over the years can be seen as follows:

Small Towners

Dhyan Chand, arguably the greatest player ever, and his brother Roop Singh came from Jhansi; K. D. Singh 'Babu', another hockey great, emerged from a small town called Bara Banki; Mohammed Shaheed, one of India's best forwards, honed his dribbling skills in the maidans of Varanasi. Jhansi, Bara Banki and Varanasi are small to mid-size towns in Uttar Pradesh.

Anglo-Indians

Nine Anglo-Indians were in the 13-member Indian team that won gold in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Among the big Anglo-Indian names: Leslie Claudius (4-time Olympian), Richard Allen

Punjab Sikhs

Balbir Singh Sr. was a member of the gold-winning team for three consecutive Olympics post Independence; Ajit Pal Singh was the captain of the World Cup winning team in 1975. Other notables: Udham Singh (4-time Olympian), Gurbaksh Singh.

Bandra Boys

Mervyn Fernandes and Joaquim Carvalho formed the backbone of the Indian forward line and midfield in the mid-80s. Other notables: Viren Rasquinha.

Tribal Link

Michael Kindo and Sylvanus Dung Dung, the famous full backs, were the first tribals to break into the big league Others: Dileep Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Jaipal Singh (the captain of the 1928 Indian Olympic team).

Article by V. Narayanaswamy of Times of India
Photo courtesy Arumugam of Stick2Hockey.com

his is a message to every Indian who thinks that sports begins and ends on the playing field - there is a life to live after the final whistle is blown, which demands a steady source of income. This is the truth that officials have refused to acknowledge, especially in the case of the Indian women's hockey team, as the examples below show.

It was at the recent national women's hockey camp in Bhopal that the team came to know about goalkeeper E. Rajini's plight.

Rajini's father, a carpenter with an income of around Rs. 4,000 a month, had a kidney ailment. Her family, consisting of her parents and 3 siblings, was in no position to pay the Rs. 20,000 cost of the treatment and surgery.

Still a student, pursuing her commerce degree, and with nobody to help, Rajini broke down before her teammates.

A player told TOI: "Rajini had been informed about the ailment only a month back. Her family had hidden it from her for many months. She desperately needed the money for the surgery but no one, including her relatives, could help her. We immediately collected Rs. 20,000 for Rajini's father's treatment."

Rajini is just one example of girls from the lowest strata of Indian society dreaming of making it big through the game of hockey. Take the case of Sandeep Kaur and Rani Devi Rampal. Both are school girls studying in standard 12. Sandeep's father is a mechanic and depends on daily wages to make ends meet. He is suffering from a lung disease, and the cost of treatment adds further pressure on his financial resources. Rani's father is a cart-puller who runs his family with the few rupees that he earns every day. Both the girls are unemployed.

"For girls such as Rani and Sandeep whose families subsist on daily wages, money is of utmost importance. What is the point in clearing their dues at a later date or creating a corpus to develop the game when they need the funds now?" asks goalkeeper Deepika Murthy.

Most women national team players come from the lowest strata of society and are battling adverse circumstances. Each one of them is a high achiever on the field, but racked by crippling poverty outside it. Here is a snapshot of the financial background of Indian women hockey players, representing various parts of the country.

Player	State	Achievement	Financial Background
E. Rajini	Andhra Pradesh	June 2009, 3-test series with NZL	Father is a carpenter, now bed-ridden because of kidney failure. Mother doesn't work, Rajini and her 3 siblings are in school
Roselyn Dung Dung	Orissa	June 2009, Champions Challenge II	Father is a daily wage earner. Roselyn has 2 younger siblings. Supports her family with her salary as a South East Railway employee
Mukta Prava Barla	Orissa	June 2009, Champions Challenge II	Father is a labourer. Mukta has three brothers Supports her family with her salary as a North East Railway employee
Rani Devi Rampal	Haryana	April 2008, Olympic Qualifier June 2009, Champions Challenge II Voted Young Player of the Tournament for both of the above	Father is a cart-puller, mother does not work. Has 2 brothers - one is a carpenter, the other a shop helper
Sandeep Kaur	Haryana	Aug 2009, Junior World Cup June 2009, 4-Nation Tournament (SAF) Jan 2009, 4-test series with CHL Jan 2009, 3-test series with ARG	Father is a mechanic, now down with a crippling lung disease. Mother doesn't work, brother in school.
Th. Anuradha Devi	Manipur	Aug 2007, 3-Nation Tournament (ITA) Dec 2007, 4-Nation Tournament (IND)	Dad was a rickshaw puller, died in November 2008. Supports her family with her salary as a Railway Coach Factory employee

he newly reconstructed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi was inaugurated by Sports Minister M. S. Gill on January 24. It is the first Commonwealth Games venue in the capital to be completed and showcased to the world.

Situated right across from India Gate, the stadium was originally built in 1933 as a multi-purpose stadium and named the Irwin Amphitheatre. It was renamed National Stadium and served as the host of the inaugural Asian Games in 1952. The stadium was renovated for the 1982 Asiad, and later renamed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in 2002.

"I dedicate this stadium to hockey lovers across the globe," said Gill, and described it as an 'architectural marvel.' He added, "Let's salute everyone, including the daily wage labourers, who all have put in tremendous efforts day in and out to complete this stadium."

During his half-an-hour speech, the minister took a stroll down memory lane when he described the joy of watching Sahu Mewalal scoring the winning goal in Indian football team's 1-0 win over Iran at this very venue during the 1951 Asiad final.

Many former players said that the new stadium can rank amongst the world's best hockey stadiums. "We should have more and more events here. It will be good for the game, as well as for the stadium," said a former player.

The stadium has got an international look, with modern changing rooms equipped with sauna, massage, lockers, a plush lounge, and modern media rooms.

Some of the features of this reconstruction project are:

• Renovation Cost: Rs. 262 crores
• Capacity: 16,200 spectators
• Pitches: 2 Match pitches, 1 Practice pitch, new Polygrass turf laid on all 3 pitches
• Water System: Computer operated sprinkler systems
• Floodlights: Hinged mast lights of 2200 lux illumination
• Scoreboards: 2 Electronic Scoreboards, with state-of-the-art acoustic systems
• Parking: Over ground parking, as well as 2-level underground parking for 350 vehicles
  

ith just over a month to go for the World Cup, India's men's hockey team training in Pune went on strike to demand match fee arrears for the matches played in 2009, and to demand an annual graded contract payment system going forward.

Officials controlling Hockey India were taken by surprise. Initially, the officials took the ultimatum lightly, taking the hypocritical stance that the players should be playing for national honour rather than for money.

When the players refused to back down, Hockey India officials threatened to field the B-team in the World Cup. The members of the second team immediately announced that they fully supported the cause of the national players, and will not play in their stead.

The standoff between the players and Hockey India officials lasted a full week, with the public and the media overwhelmingly backing the players.

Sports Minister M. S. Gill was reduced to being a spectator, neither able to produce the sought-for funds, nor able to persuade the striking players to go back to work.

Indian team sponsors Sahara then put in Rs. 1 crore in a suspense account for immediate distribution to the players. Armed with this generous contribution from the team sponsor, the President of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi, along with hockey star Dhanraj Pillai, persuaded the players to give up their strike.

On January 18, Kalmadi distributed cheques to the striking players at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi. Around 35-40 men's hockey players were the beneficiaries.

FIH president Leandro Negre thanked Sahara India chairman Subrata Roy for coming to Hockey India's rescue and resolving the pay dispute that threatened to disrupt India's preparations for the World Cup.

During all this, the Indian women players were completely left out in the bargain. The women players then went on a black armband protest in Bhopal, where they were training. In an inspired move, they opened a joint account in a Bhopal bank, and asked the public to contribute.

The women's team received a cheque for Rs. 2 lakhs from Yash Raj Films, the producers of Chak de India. ASSOCHAM Commonwealth Games chairman Vinay Rai announced a contribution of Rs. 10 lakhs for the women players.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chauhan contributed Rs. 1 crore to the women's hockey team. This amount was distributed among 50 women players and officials, with each person getting Rs. 2 lakhs, at a function held on January 28 at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bhopal.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati pledged Rs. 5 crores towards Indian hockey. Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda pledged Rs. 1 crore, while Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi agreed to donate Rs. 50 lakhs.

Importantly, Hockey India has formed a Committee to look into the gradation of players, for both men's and women's national teams, at both the senior and junior levels.

The Commitee consists of Olympians Ajeet Pal Singh, M. P. Ganesh, Zafar Iqbal and Dhanraj Pillai. The Convener of the Committee is Jagbeer Singh, who is the Director, Planning for Hockey India.

In addition, the captains and chief coaches of both the men's and women's teams will also be members of this Committee.

Article by Dr. Deepak Sheth

hank you, coach Brasa. You have restored my vision of the grace and charm of what used to be Indian hockey. You have no idea what memories you have jogged.

• The combination of Virender Singh, Ashok Kumar and M. P. Ganesh hurtling down the right flank, with exquisite understanding and dribbling acumen.
  
• The delectable Mohammad Shaheed dribbling through the whole Dutch defence in the 1982 Bombay World Cup, and his (match-tying) goal-bound shot being stopped by the Dutch goalkeeper at the buzzer (India lost 3-4 to Netherlands in the World Cup).
  
• Benny Boodle and Inam-ur-Rehman playing a 1-2 tag against the opposing team in the 1968 Aga Khan Hockey Tournament, one lovely spring evening in Bombay, that started this writer on an incredible journey into witnessing the wonders of Indian Hockey.
  

I do not care whether India wins or loses in the 2010 World Cup, though I am sure others, including you, do care. To me, you, Brasa, have reinstated the fluidity, the artistry, the breathtaking but judicious use of skills, that we witnessed in years gone by, that wowed the rest of the world.

Despite the dominance of the athletic Australians, the crafty Dutch and the solid Germans, there is still evidence from all quarters around us, both young and old, that the world is excited and enthralled by the play of the Indians, akin to the Brazilians in soccer.

Thank you, Coach Brasa, for reminding the current Indian hockey players of the ancient ancestral skills - that you finish off a move after you have dribbled past 2 consecutive players, with an exquisite pass. Or that you stop using long, unstoppable hard hits to advance the ball. Or that using teamwork and slick passing you can achieve the same, if not a better result, than dribbling through players.

Thank you, Coach Brasa, for looking after the players like your own children, always fighting for them, against an ignorant and self-serving Indian hockey establishment. Thank you for looking after their nutritional and fitness requirements, for teaching them to think for themselves, and to express themselves both on and off the field.

You have done a service for these poor souls who are artisans of a dying art form (dribbling, swerving, stickwork), the result of years of labor, who toil selflessly for few rewards and a meagre livelihood. Hockey players are among the most unassuming athletes on this planet.

Thank you, Coach Brasa, for teaching the Indian players that only making moves and exhibiting exhilarating skills is not sufficient; one also needs to defend, pass, and use tactics and strategy. Thank you for having the guts to bring in a new culture in Indian Hockey, with concepts like all round players, use of man-to-man marking, and not behaving like prima donnas on the field.

Also further thanks are due to you for blending the European style of play with the Indian skillful play, and making believers of skeptical Indian players who could not believe that they had it in them to do anything European or "defensive" or "body play" (as it is called locally).

Hopefully you have shown the way for other Indian coaches to widen their horizons and to train their teams on playing scientific hockey, and have shown the current set of players that they need to dissipate the knowledge gleaned from their coach to other players.

But above all, I want to thank you personally from the bottom of my heart, for giving me a chance to watch our current team, a team which is different from the others we have witnessed in the recent past. The present Indian team plays modern, pleasing hockey as it should be played, showcasing skills, fluidity and understanding. They may not bring the desired results, but they are sure pleasing to watch and do entertain.

I do not know what is in store for you and your Indian team in the Delhi World Cup, but in my eyes, you have already achieved the impossible - you have given us legions of Indian hockey fans the world over, hope for the future. We shall remain eternally grateful.

Photograph courtesy The Hindu

he 11th South Asian Federation Games men's hockey tournament was held at the Maulana Bhasani Stadium in Dhaka, from January 30 to February 7. Five countries participated in the men's tournament - defending champion Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and host Bangladesh. No women's hockey competition has been held at any of the SAF Games.

India finished a disappointing 2nd in the tournament, with the following match results:

Stage	Date	Result	Goal Scorers - India
League	Jan 30	India 21 - Nepal 0	Yuvraj Valmeeki (4, 9, 64 min) Mohammad Amir Khan (7, 20, 57 min) Belsejar Horo (10 min) V. R. Raghunath (13, 50 min), both PCs Ajitesh Roy (15, 58, 59, 66, 68 min) Pramod Kumar (17, 44 min) Mujtaba (28, 52 min), both PCs Innocent Kulu (31 min), PC Roshan Minz (40 min) Dharamveer Singh (69 min)
	Jan 31	India 7 - Sri Lanka 2	Dharamveer Singh (4 min) V. R. Raghunath (7, 40 min) Mohammad Aamir Khan (21, 65 min) Ajitesh Roy (46 min) Pramod Kumar (52 min)
	Feb 3	India 5 - Pakistan 1	V. R. Raghunath (14, 19, 57 min), all PCs Dharamveer Singh (1, 2 min)
	Feb 5	India 3 - Bangladesh 3	V. R. Raghunath (52 min), PC Mohammad Aamir Khan (59 min) Dharamveer Singh (67 min)
Final	Feb 7	Pakistan 1(4) - India 1(3)	Ajitesh Roy (6 min), PC (V. R. Raghunath Innocent Kulu Vikas Pillai)

During the final between India and Pakistan, a scuffle broke out between the two teams in the 26th minute of the first half, and police had to be called in by the umpires to separate the two teams. The two captains, India's Ajitesh Roy and Pakistan's Sibtan-e-Raza, were sent off as a punishment for failing to control their players. The match was halted for about seven minutes due to the incident.

The hockey matches at the Games were screened on BanglaVision. The final standings were: 1. Pakistan, 2. India, 3. Bangladesh, 4. Sri Lanka 5. Nepal

The Indian team was as follows:

Goalkeepers: Mrinal Chaubey, Harjeet Singh

Full-Backs: Vokkaliga R. Raghunath, Innocent Kulu, Amit Kumar Prabhakar

Half-Backs: Ajitesh Roy (captain), Roshan Minz, Varinderjeet Singh, Belsejar Horo, Birendra Lakra Jr., Vikas Pillai

Forwards: Bikas Toppo, Dharamveer Singh, Mohammad Aamir Khan, Yuvraj Valmeeki, Pramod Kumar, Hamza Mujtaba, Prabhdeep Singh

Officials: Clarence Lobo (Chief Coach), Gundeep Kumar (Coach), Naushad Ahmad (Trainer), Balbir Singh (Manager)

he Photograph of the Month for February 2010 is a sand sculpture created by Sudarsan Patnaik at Puri beach in Orissa.

Sudarsan and his students took 5 hours and use 8 tonnes of sand to convey his message via art 'Save Indian Hockey'. This was created to show solidarity for the striking Indian men's hockey team players, who were protesting the non-payment of match fees and the absence of a graded contract system.

he Delhi government has decided to waive off all revenue collected as entertainment and luxury tax from the organisers of the Hockey World Cup, being held from February 28 to March 13 at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi. This will cost the government exchequer Rs. 6.25 crores.

Hockey India representatives had met Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta requesting waiver of entertainment tax on match tickets, and luxury tax on hotel rooms to be booked for delegates. The request was approved by Delhi finance minister Dr. A. K. Valia, and chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

Earlier, Delhi cabinet had waived luxury tax to the tune of Rs. 30 crores on hotel rooms booked by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for athletes, delegates, sport physicians and international media persons.

Article by Ashwin Pinto of IndianTelevision.com

ith the Hockey World Cup kicking off on 28 February, official broadcaster Ten Sports has roped in Hero Honda as the title sponsor, and Nokia and MTS Mobile as associate sponsors.

According to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) chief revenue officer Joy Chakraborthy, they aim to have at least 8 sponsors. While not revealing any revenue figures, he says that spots have gone for an average of Rs. 35,000 per 10-seconds.

In terms of marketing activities, Zee Sports CEO Atul Pande has said that spots featuring Virendra Sehwag (Hockey Sehwag ad by Hero Honda), Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Rathore (Hero Honda Rajyavardhan on YouTube), and Priyanka Chopra (Priyanka Chopra Hero Honda Hockey World Cup TVC) are airing.

The final advertisement in the series to air is a father-son, family-oriented spot. The son sees his father's old hockey stick from his college days, and asks him what this is. His father replies this is a 'Jadoo ki Chhadi' (a magic stick), and then proceeds to play with his son. The excited son exclaims, "Papa, I love this game!"

The tagline in all of the above spots is Phir Dil De Hockey Ko. It is a call to sports fans to support the national sport. It has an emotional connect and was conceived by Hero Honda.

"The campaign is not about taking hockey to India, but taking India back to hockey," said Subroto Pradhan, vice-president and director, Client Services, J. Walter Thompson, who has worked on the Hero Honda Hockey campaign. The creative director on the campaign was Surjo Dutt, while Preeta Mathur was the copywriter.

"Hockey is our national game, and we have a cherished history of great achievements and great players. Our new campaign aims at building excitement around the game. Through initiatives like these, we hope to bring people back to hockey once again, and rekindle the passion for it across the nation," said Anil Dua, senior vice president-marketing and sales, Hero Honda Motors.

In a multi-pronged promotional campaign, print and radio advertisements, syndicated columns, and outdoor hoardings are being used. A soon-to-be-aired radio programme, called Hockey Jockey, aims to generate interest among youngsters. The company has also created an anthem, which it plans to play in the stadium.

Hero Honda is also sponsoring an inter-school hockey league, Hero Honda Cup Inter-school Hockey Tournament. The tournament for school children has been organised across 19 cities, where 4,000 kids from more than 275 schools will participate.

The cities where the tournament has been organised are: Delhi, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Jamshedpur, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Chennai, Cochin, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

he February 2010 Visitor of the Month is Jaap Suyk, who wrote the following to BharatiyaHockey.org:

My name is Jaap Suyk, and I am from Netherlands. I have been associated with hockey for the past 34 years (player, trainer and referee). I am presently based in Malaysia for the past 1 year.

Through news and interviews on my website Hockey-Asia.com, I aim to communicate with hockey lovers in Asia. My wish and desire is to start hockey courses for school teachers and hockey trainers, possibly a Hockey Academy in Chennai, and support to Indian hockey as much as possible.

Anyone with suggestions and ideas please contact me. Success is best achieved if we work together with best intentions.

Thanks, Jaap Suyk

Statistics by B. G. Joshi

n Februry 2010, India and Pakistan play each other in two different tournaments - the South Asian Federation Games (Dhaka) and the World Cup (Delhi). The February 2010 edition of Fun with Numbers lists the Indo-Pak match results in these two tournaments:

WORLD CUP
Played 4, India 2W, Pakistan 2W, India 6G, Pakistan 6G

Date	City	Stage	Score	Goal Scorers (IND)	Goal Scorers (PAK)
Oct 22, 1971	Barcelona	Semi-final	Pakistan 2 - India 1	Rajvinder Singh	Rashid Jr. Munawwar Zaman
Aug 30, 1973	Amsterdam	Semi-final	India 1 - Pakistan 0	B. P. Govinda
Mar 15, 1975	Kuala Lumpur	Final	India 2 - Pakistan 1	Surjeet Singh Ashok Kumar	Mohammad Zahid
Oct 17, 1986	London	Last-place match	Pakistan 3 - India 2	M. P. Singh (2)	Qasim Kalimullah Naseer Ali
Feb 28, 2010	Delhi	Pool match

SOUTH ASIAN FEDERATION GAMES
Played 5, India 3W, Pakistan 2W, India 15G, Pakistan 7G

Date	City	Stage	Score	Goal Scorers (IND)	Goal Scorers (PAK)
Dec 26, 1995	Chennai	Final	India 5 - Pakistan 2	Dhanraj Pillai (3) Mukesh Kumar (2)	Kamran Ashraf Tahir Zaman
Aug 21, 2006	Matale (SL)	League match	India 2 - Pakistan 0	V. R. Raghunath Gurbaj Singh
Aug 25, 2006	Matale (SL)	Final	Pakistan 3 - India 2	Sardara Singh Vikram Kanth	Zubair Khan Imran Warsi (2)
Feb 3, 2010	Dhaka	League match	India 5 - Pakistan 1	V. R. Raghunath (3) Dharamveer Singh (2)	Wasif Siddique
Feb 7, 2010	Dhaka	Final	Pakistan 1(4) - India 1(3)	Ajitesh Roy (V. R. Raghunath Innocent Kulu Vikas Pillai)	Wasif Siddique (Wasif Siddique Kashif Javid Tasawar Abbas Sabtain Raza )