Indian Hockey: How The Mighty Have Fallen

Another year to go before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games Hockey Event! So much time. So little to do for the Indian team.

You might say that Indian hockey is headed in the right direction and shaping up well. This so contrary to the sloppy, inefficient and geriatric Indian administrations of the past. Especially considering that there is still lots of time, as there is a whole year to go! To choose a select group of players, then a core team, regain fitness, stamina and balance, work out new strategies with the new coach, assess opponents, understand and employ the new regulations, get psychotherapy to gain mental toughness, play lots of practice matches, gain an abundance of international exposure, order, procure and get essential equipment, decide on sponsors, fund the administration, resolve major issues in the administration, qualify for the Olympics etc. etc… You have to agree with me, all this in one year is a walk in the park for a proven Indian hockey machine. They have been so efficient; winning everything in their path (except for the inconsequential CWG and Asian games) in the recent past, that none of us should have any qualms about Indian OG qualifications.

Glory Days in Indian Hockey: A thing of the past

Oh! I forgot it is a little less than a year, maybe a lot less when you consider that the Olympic qualifier is in Feb 2011. But, never mind, there is possibly enough time even now. Let’s see, 7 months equates to 210 days, which is 5040 hours. Wow! Now that sounds more than adequate time. With the famous efficacy that the hockey administration has demonstrated consistently in the past, we should be fine. Just fine. No worries at all, right? Come on agree with me. Do you have any doubts? Just lay them to rest, now is not the time for dissent.

The 2008 non-qualification was an aberration after all. Come on now, we just cannot fail two times running. Look at our glorious past, surely things will work out. We should all pray and fast, things will work out, by themselves. Indian hockey after all has a fantastic legacy.

With the two major thorns, HI and IHF, in Indian hockey’s ageing flesh now reconciling to cobble together a mere 35 members to govern Indian hockey, it sure augurs “well” for Indian hockey. Who cares about “too many cooks, spoiling the broth?”; as long all the self-serving, mongrel-like sycophants get a position in the administration, other mundane matters, such as the OG qualifier in Feb 2012 do not matter. At all. Not to them. Never has. Never will.

Being a latent optimist, I can sound the death knell for Indian hockey. And I here by do; India will not qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games. Ireland, Scotland, Malaysia, even France and Italy have a much better shot. In the present state that Indian hockey truly is in, China and Japan are better qualified. If for some reason, I fail, and miraculously, against all odds India does qualify, then remember, my opinion is an amateur’s musing. No expert here.

But behold! If India were to qualify, then the rest of the world beware as Indians will surely be medal contenders. What other team starts a qualification process so nonchalantly a mere 7 months before qualifications and qualifies? The other “inferior” teams need a full 4 year plan even to consider themselves worthy of a qualification tournament.

But the Indians are special.

When Indian hockey’s obituary is written, you might want to consider this as something that gets considered to be etched on the tombstone…or memorial;

“Here lays a true goliath, slain untimely, in most cruel fashion by a mongrel-bunch of Brutus-like treasonous Machiavellians”