It could be fittingly termed as a ‘Black Day’ in Indian hockey or rather in Indian sport. The illustrious golden history of Indian hockey, which started 80 years back in the year 1928, touched its nadir on Monday when India couldn’t be able to make the cut for Beijing Olympics.
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist and the team that never misses an Olympic berth till Sunday from the date of its participation won’t qualify for sporting biggest carnival as they lost 0-2 to Great Britain in the finals of the World group hockey Olympic qualifier in Santiago, Chile.
This day will never ever could be forgotten in the years to come, as it will become a bane of life that will hurt our ‘heart and soul’ whenever we talk about Olympics. It’s a taboo that embossed amidst our golden past.
It’s really a shame on our part that once the rulers of the World Hockey map that too at a time when we weren’t so successful in other sports, specially cricket that has swallowed all the other sports with its giant booming leap over a period of time, couldn’t even be able to make the cut for Olympics.
India last won an Olympic gold at the Western- countries boycotted Moscow Games in 1980, 28 years back, and since then much water has flown under the river. We had to play qualifiers for Beijing as we missed an Asian Games medal for the first time in Qatar in 2006.
The stats itself reveal the stinging truth, which will surely give a bad taste to the top brasses of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). Indian hockey reached to its abysmal low not because of their loss in qualifying finals or due to current performance.
There is a consistent downfall in the performance level and standard of playing of our team at the international level since we won our last Olympic gold in the year 1980.
India failed to finish even in the top four ever since they pocketed their last gold in Olympics. It has been a familiar tale of disappointment since then.
There will be a great hullabaloo across the country ahead of Indian team’s departure to take part in Olympics and later on the same blame game after losing miserably to great sides, which has become the integral part of federation, players and coach to sum up their disgraceful exit from the mega-event.
It’s time to introspect within ourselves rather to blame others, as we have to once again rejuvenate and get back to our winning ways to bring back our country on the podium and also to re-conquer the lost World.
|
|
Comments:
