It actually takes a lot of efforts to build a brand name for somebody or lets say gain a positive image in public. Pertaining to the image of Hockey in India, it was lot of hard work and concrete results to make it a popular game during those days. India consistently won Hockey championships and it was promoted nationwide on a massive scale. Players like Dhyan chand, Dhanraj Pillay, Udham Singh Did proud to our country end number of times. Cricket barged in later and caught attention like western culture. Factors which promoted hockey started deteriorating. Money which was spent on Hockey promotion was gradually directed to cricket.
Even our players agree that they are not well paid. True!!Cricket players when retire, have a good amount of property value with them, while hockey players are still struggling to live a decent life. There are no sponsors for hockey any more!! India has not shown consistency in winning hockey championships too…..I would like to state that the cause and consequence are inter related or depend on each other. Isnt it? Its formed a vicious cycle. To add to the fact, its wouldn't be wrong if I say that Hockey is not encouraged at the school level too. If the school authorities take some interest in the sport and encourage it at the grass root level, it would certainly produce some good players in future. Good players and supporters after-all take the league ahead!
N not only hockey, but over all, sports is not encouraged as a career by Indian parents. Bogged by society and class pressure, parents envisage their children to excel in academics rather than sports. Strange! Father and son enjoy cricket together, but father never encourages son to choose cricket as a career. However, cricket has a good fan following than hockey has. There are no takers of our national game in our nation. What a shame.
BCCI has crores of INR to spend on cricket. But, Is hockey federation that broke? If even one third of the money which BCCI has, is spent on hockey ,then at least Hockey would not lie neglected the way its today. Players should be well treated, taken care of. They deserve some investment, don’t they?
Gradually Hockey vanished from the screens of the televisions and the fame faded in the façade of time. Cricket has gripped the nation with its charm.Cricket brings the nation together.So why cant Hockey? Well, because hockey players are mostly from specific communities or castes only which leaves a fan following only from that section. People representation is missing I guess!!
Government should have taken some extra steps to promote hockey like they are doing now.It was only after CHAK DE that many people realized the actual situation of the players and the state of the game.We need more initiatives.
Sponsorship, a world cup victory and root level nurturing is what one needs to bring that passion for something, be it cricket or be our national game which has lost its shine now.
This was my 5th winning blog in indyarocks.