Between Moscow 1980 and Beijing 2008, the 1998 Asian Games remain a memorable moment.
Despite all the technology, advancements, justice, and democratic systems, hockey, goes through uncomfortability every day in one way or other. We, the fans and players, embrace everything thrown at us with all our might and rise to the top of our passions in representing and following our national game.
For many citizens inside our borders, it is linguistically, culinarily, and emotionally tough traveling, working, and playing in our healthy rural pockets. Despite all this, if-not and but-not and why-not, we are united. We are united through our love for a game that has taken us in the footsteps of the heavens – field hockey.
Jimmy Bhogal (photo courtesy LinkedIn)
In an earlier column, I spoke to OTOD, an Indian Hockey Supporters Group. This time, I connected with a fellow columnist and a life-long hockey fan, Jimmy Bhogal.
Ravi: Firstly, thank you for giving your valuable time to The Sports Column. Can we begin the conversation by having you tell us who your idols were growing up? How was the situation of field hockey back then, and how well do you think conditions improved for hockey fans in our country today?
Jimmy Bhogal: Hockey has changed a lot since I started following hockey. In the late 1990s, things were very bad, even for the primary stakeholders- the players. The facilities were poor; the federation was indifferent to the players’ plight. The coaching staff was placed on a revolving chair, and they were hired and fired without any logic. On these aspects, yes, hockey has changed in India. The federations, players, and coaches are much more professional now. The facilities have improved drastically. Focus has been put on nutrition, fitness, and strategy. However, fans don’t see anything improving. Today, hockey has been confined to one city. The fans that are part of other cities must travel to watch the games there. Earlier, we had tournaments in various other locations throughout the country. Fans cannot take huge posters and other things to the stadium. In short, the third team, i.e., fans, still get a bad outcome from the people in charge. In my opinion, this needs to be changed ASAP. In my opinion, fans make the sport, and if fans continue to get a raw deal, they will stop turning up, and the sport will struggle.
Ravi: Montreal 1976 remains the last Olympics where hockey was played the Indian Way – On Grass. Ever since then, the westernization of the game has led to the de-Indianized version of the game. Can you share your thoughts on Indian hockey between 1980 Moscow to 2008 Beijing?
Jimmy Bhogal: I cannot answer why the AstroTurf was introduced, but it did affect a lot of nations that were not sound economically. Setting up the turf is costly, and it is just not possible for some countries. The struggle the Asian and African countries have today is because they could not adopt the AstroTurf at the scale Europeans did. Europe is much better off economically and was able to set up these turfs on a large scale and prosper. So, Indian hockey, because we were unable to adopt turf, continued to struggle in international hockey. The game we see today is faster and more physical which led to the struggles of the Indian team. Even today, India does not have half the AstroTurf that the Netherlands has. Whatever the Indian team has achieved from 1980 to 2008 (not a lot) is to some of the individual performances of players of that time. The best moment for India surely must be the 1998 Asian Games medal win, and the worst is not being able to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
London 2012 (photo courtesy The Guardian)
Ravi: By 2012, London, our national game, would taste successes in bits and pieces and went through many a torrid time while cricket grew strong and bold financially and domestically. Where do you think it went wrong for us before a Tokyo medal made us forget every near-death experience?
Jimmy Bhogal: Going back and thinking, the period between 2008 and 2012 was not successful either. My only achievement was finishing third in Asian Games 2010 and silver in CWG. We struggled in the 2010 World Cup. The team was handed a straightforward draw for Olympics qualifiers. We finished 12th in Olympics. Indian hockey was still reeling from the effects of the way the Indian Hockey Federation ran the sport. It takes time to fix those issues, reset and restart. It started post-India’s performance in the 2012 Olympics with getting in right coaches, funding, facilities, tours, and tournaments.
Ravi: Do you think there were there any gaps between coaching and fitness training standards in India and other countries?
Jimmy Bhogal: A huge one. The game on natural grass is different than the game on AstroTurf. The game on natural grass is slower and requires players with individual skills, while the AstroTurf being a carpet makes the game faster. It was difficult for Indian players to adjust to playing on turf. Similarly, the coaching given to the players was more in tune with grass than turf because of the non-availability of turf. Now when a player who starts on grass now has to play on turf, it is new for the player.
On the other hand, today’s player needs to unlearn what was played on grass and learn to play on turf—India and other nations that are economically not prosperous struggle there. With more turfs being installed and coaching programs being run, now the age where the players get an opportunity at an earlier age group than, let’s say, 10-15 years ago. The learning curve of these new players is much smaller than compared of players from a generation earlier.
Ravi: Unfortunately, many Indian players hide/fake injuries and either ruin their careers or bring a detrimental name to the federation. You must have unquestionably come across many talented athletes who went the wrong way. How do you see this in the present-day hockey culture and the game’s evolution in your state and our country? Can you tell us your views on this and players who lost their valuable careers?
Photo courtesy Rediffmail
Jimmy Bhogal: (I will talk about injuries and the game’s progress here). With advancements in the medical field and support staff, recognizing injuries and treating them well is much quicker. The support staff plays an important role here. No player on the pitch is at 100%, and they usually play with pain. However, if that injury affects the team’s performance, they are sent for treatment and return when they are better. This is something that has happened with improvement in the medical field. Hockey is still restricted to some pockets in the country. Punjab and Haryana continue to remain the major contributors to Indian hockey. There are some smaller pockets like Odisha, Mumbai, and North-East. Hockey is restricted to these places only. You might get one-off players from other places, but hockey has not penetrated the country. One look at the scores of national championships is enough to confirm that. There is a huge gap in scorelines.
Ravi: What is your opinion on the ratio of exhibition games, tournaments, and practices on Indian Hockey’s domestic front? In other words, what areas would you like to place the primary emphasis on in the future?
Jimmy: Hockey needs to go to other players apart from Odisha. The federation is depriving the opportunity of other Indian fans by just hosting the tournament in one place. I understand that Odisha sponsors Indian hockey teams, but it is Indian hockey and Odisha hockey. One reason I have seen is that the Odisha government makes it easier to host tournaments, and the federation does not have to do much. Doesn’t that mean the federation cannot do its job? Hockey needs to move to other places and other regions so that hockey can penetrate the country. BCCI took cricket to smaller cities and saw the players coming out of smaller cities. Hockey deserves the same.
Ravi: I would love to know your take on Hockey India League and how it brought back hockey to our stadiums with flying colors.
Photo courtesy Twitter
Jimmy Bhogal: Hockey India League was very much needed for Indian hockey considering the team’s performance in the tournaments before that. The tournament helped Indian players play with good foreign players, which improved their performance of Indian players. The Indian core we see today is due to Hockey India League, as players learned a lot from foreign players.
Ravi: Sports education is a subject taken for granted too many times. How important do you think academics play in the life of a sportsperson, particularly if an individual has the potential to cut themselves above the rest?
Jimmy Bhogal: (I prefer discussing hunger for government jobs among players). In India, we do not have a concept called student-athletes, which is quite prevalent in the West. This is something that I would want to be replicated in India. Many athletes play for a government job. I understand the economic situation of the people of India, but the players need to try and move away from the glitter of a government job. Quality education during their early age will help these players set life for themselves post their playing age, and they won’t have to rely on the government to offer them jobs.
Ravi: Dr. Narinder Batra’s latest resignation from his posts at International Hockey Federation (IHF) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) opens a new saga in its ways. Your take on that?
Jimmy Bhogal: The rules laid down were broken, and he deserves punishment. He has undoubtedly done great things for Hockey India, but you cannot twist the rules to suit yourself. A good leader would work on creating more leaders and not trying to cement their place in the organization. However, on the FIH front, the way he is being treated for the actions and plans of his predecessors is appalling. The hockey community does not seem to understand that Pro League and Hockey 5s currently being played today are the brainchildren of former president Leandro Negre. It was Negre who wanted Hockey 5s to be in Olympics. Batra did what the former president and executive board agreed upon. However, all fingers are pointed at Batra, and others who are equally responsible are scot-free. This is something I am unable to digest. This does not mean I am defending Batra. I am looking for accountability all around, which is currently not done.
_________________________
Here’s Jimmy’s blog for all matters associated with Indian hockey. Follow Jimmy on Twitter and Facebook
