'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Hockey World Cup has started.India played it’s opening encounter against Belgium and lost 2-3. We will witness only the Indian men’s team in action as the women’s team failed to qualify.
India is in Group A, a very strong and competitive pool of teams consisting England, Australia, Spain, Malaysia and Belgium. After a close defeat in the opening match, India cannot afford any further slips, their next match is against England on June 2 .
They have to win against England, Spain and Malaysia, considering their record against Australia isn’t great off late as they lost comprehensively 7-2 in the Hockey World League held in Delhi.
According to the Federation of International Hockey (FIH), Indian men's sixth place finish at the Rabobank HWL(Hockey World League) semi-final in Rotterdam has proven to be enough for their participation and they should not throw away this opportunity.
Pakistan though failed to qualify for the World Cup. India last won the Hockey World Cup in 1975 when they beat Pakistan 2-1.
It’s been close to 39 years since those glory days, and its time we as Indians give our full support to the team.
The FIH is putting its best foot forward to promote this sport, but in India, cricket is slowly beginning to be the unofficial national sport.
The major print and electronic channels in India are giving more importance to the Indian T20 League, which we as know will finish by June 1. This tournament will come year upon year, but a World Cup comes once in 4 years, and this is a chance for the Indian hockey team to show their mettle.
Hockey India has been doing its best to promote the sport, the stadium in Delhi went through major renovation in 2010, thanks to India hosting the Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth games.
Then,hockey India league started in the same manner as the Indian T20 league, although the popularity is not the same.
The newspapers’ attitude towards the sport is clear when the Indian T20 League competition occupies 3 out of the 4 pages in the sports section, only half a page is given to the national sport.
The football World Cup will begin in a couple of weeks’ time, and the media are promoting it unabashedly even though India is not participating in the event. A famous actor is also roped in to help in the promotional activities.
India has got the rights to host the under-17 football World Cup and the Indian super league will try to put the “Cricket-Crazy” nation on the world map of football.
One Hopes that like England, India can also become a force to reckon with in Hockey and Football. For that to happen, we need the support of the people and Media.
Not everyone will know Sardar Singh as the captain of the hockey team, as their knowledge is limited to Dhyan Chand, Dilip Turkey or even a popular Indian actor’s performance in the movie Chak de India, where he led a Women’s Team to a World Cup glory.
All will depend on how the team performs in the World Cup. All they can hope for is support from their fans, fellow sportspersons , the media and a bit of luck.
