Anyone involved with hockey in India cannot be blamed if he is fed up with the way things are going. The National sport finds itself mired in newer controversies almost on a daily basis and sinks to even greater depths than before. Such is the state of affairs.
Personal benefit, it seems, is more important than National pride. After a new chapter called the 'Santiago debacle' was written in Indian hockey history, comes the startling revelation in a sting operation conducted by a television news channel. Indian Hockey Federation secretary general K Jothikumaran was caught on camera taking cash in exchange for favours. He maintains that the money he received was assumed to be some sort of an advance for a tournament to be conducted and not for getting a player into the National team for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (Malaysia) next month.
Whether Jothikumaran, who resigned subsequently, is innocent or guilty is another question. What has been highlighted from the whole episode is that the officials of the IHF are prepared to get into under-the-table deals, thus compromising the interests of the sport in the country. This sort of functioning has resulted in the mess that prevails today, resulting in India having to hang its head in shame.
There have always been doubts about some inclusions into the National team. Players who are barely able to match up to international standards on the field are often seen donning Indian colours. What it means is quite obvious.
"Till corruption is removed, good administration and management with transparency prevails, it is difficult to produce results," feels former India captain M P Ganesh, who is tipped to take over as the new chief of the selection committee. "People who administer hockey should have concern for the game. Such people are needed if we are to improve."
That corruption and Indian hockey go hand-in-hand is no secret. Olympian Ashish Ballal said: "Two hands are needed to clap. It is not only Jothikumaran. One needs to look at the larger picture," he says.
Two-time Olympian Jagbir Singh feels: "This is yet another humiliation and that too from the IHF top brass. The players are not at fault for the poor state of affairs.
"These people were not caught in the initial stages and grew in confidence while indulging in shameful acts. They have put us into a situation in which players have to come back with their heads bowed.
"There still are people who are prepared to sponsor hockey but if they see things like they did in the sting operation they may not come forward from now on."
People are now fed up with the current IHF administration. The international hockey federation is not happy too. It is quite clear that a change is needed. What president K P S Gill and Co promised when they took over in 1994 after the Bhopal elections lies a shattered dream. Fresh, young, energetic and well-meaning minds are required to run the show, now that the present order has proved itself incapable of handling things. The voices of dissent are coming from within the IHF also.
IHF joint secretary K Krishnamurthy has been a vocal critic of the Gill administration. "The IHF is a defunct body. Out of the 12 vice-presidents we have, only two are active and a couple has passed away. Now that Jothikumaran has resigned, Gill is everything in the IHF. One man cannot run a National federation. He should see the message and go. There should be no ego involved here," he says.
"Till now, we did not have evidence of malpractices in the IHF. But suspicion was getting stronger. Let Jothikumaran come out with the truth about things," he states.
The Karnataka State Hockey Association secretary adds: "If this had been happening, many Karnataka players may have missed out on playing for India."
That Gill and the whole of the current IHF administration should go along with him is the demand from many in the hockey fraternity. They have been around for a long time but have done little. Why not give a chance to a new set of people to run hockey in India?
