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With hockey elections about to take place after months of delay, hockey fans are expecting change in the fortunes of Indian hockey. In order to turn the tide, we need some major steps. Hockey fans might come out with their wish list and hope that next hockey president acts as a Santa Claus and fulfills their wish. I have also made a list for the next hockey president.
1. Live matches to be displayed on TV Hockey fans wish to see the match live, instead of looking in the newspaper and internet for some news. In the year 2010 World Cup,was the only event displayed live on TV.In the last two years, only a few telecasts of international tournaments were displayed. So, I request you to sign a deal with the broadcasting team to make live matches available to the immense number of hockey fans.2. Give annual contract to the playersTaking a leave out of cricket,try giving yearly contracts to hockey players. Make a pool of 30 players and give them contracts. Along with increasing their salary give them some additional profits earned during the year. Monetary benefits along with health insurance schemes will be a great form of motivation and will eventually help the players.3. Formation of hockey leagueI still remember the onset of Premier Hockey League, where players around the globe joined hands to showcase their talent in hockey. I aim to get those moments back, but this time with more teams and more diversified rules. Hockey must inculcate fun and entertainment, therefore beginning a new hockey league is not at all a bad idea!4. An increment in sponsorships is a necessity Just take a look at English Premier League, they have sponsors for every event, though the event may be from jersey to beverages. Hockey should get sponsors for each and every area. Hockey should get sponsorships for traveling, hospitality, broadcasting, radio, seating, etc. All this will not only save the additional expenses for the association but will also lead to an advancement in this sport.5. Find a new brand ambassadorLast time Suniel Shetty was the brand ambassador of the game.Neither is he seen near the team since last edition of PHL nor is he famous among the youngsters.This makes the game even more unpopular as compared to cricket whose brand ambassadors are personalities like Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni who are the heartthrob of Indians,so it is the right time to find some one who is popular amongst the Indian public. Best choice according to me is Dhanraj Pillay.6. Be transparentTransparency is the biggest thing lacked by Indian sports, especially hockey. No one is aware of the fact as the selection of the team, the important decisions made by the team. So the best option is to be transparent and make the people aware of everything that is taking place all around in their game.7. Organize tournamentsFIH has promised to give one tournament to India every year, but just one tournament a year is insufficient. India should actively participate in atleast 2-3 tournaments every year so that the bench strength can be measured. It will be a good way to give chance to new players and thus bring up the new talent. It is better for the team to play tournaments than organizing camps.8. Use services of retired playersThe history of Indian hockey was very good, and we have had many good players.The president should make use of the services of the retired players. The long term experiences of the retired players will give new strategies to the team which will eventually help them in improving the team.9. Give more powers to the coachIndia’s head coach Jose Brasa, has no power. He simply sits in the stand and watches the game just as any other hockey fan. He does not even have the selection power for the starting XI, leave about the team selection. Anyone who is employed must be given certain services to perform otherwise his existence is useless so its better to remove them. Please use the services of the various people employed for this purpose especially the head coach.His services might be really beneficial for the team.10. Develop infrastructure Infrastructure must be a long term agenda for the team. There have been many stories on the bad treatment of players in the local tournaments. It should be the duty of the board to take care of players. Take care of players and they will take care of you. Therefore construction of proper stadiums, hostels, training centers etc. for the players is important.
This was my 10 point wish list for the next hockey president. There could other points that I might have missed. But according to me, these are the major 10 points which next president should take care of……….
