It would appear that cricket is now the only sport in India capable of drawing in the crowds, the money and the recognition. To the extent that field hockey's World Cup tournament dates were brought forward to keep from clashing with those of cricket's domestic IPL season.
Now that India is one of the top teams in cricket, the players are showered with public adulation, and cash prizes from central and state sports councils. It is not an Olympic sport, yet many cricketers have been named for national awards for their achievements.
Hitching a ride on the cricket obsession, the corporate world associates their products with the sport or with its icons. The advertisements on print and electronic media are calculated to increase the media hype, and thence push up the sales numbers. In comparison, other sports disciplines are treated like stepchildren that struggle without support and find little acclaim even when they win.
For example, besides the individual gold medal in shooting, Indians brought home bronze medals for boxing and wrestling again for the first time in Olympic sporting history. However, the Republic Day awards overlooked the winners in the last two categories and namedcricketers for the honours instead, which drew protests.
Coming into the prestigious World Cup tournament, the Indian hockey team has laboured under intense pressures. On the field, they would be grappling with artificial pitches and taller, fitter and stronger opponents. Off the field, they were embroiled in several distractive controversies.
In February, just prior to the World Cup, a charity organization set up exhibition matches against Bollywood stars. Strangely, the timing of the event was not questioned. Then, just hours before the game, organizers complained to the media that they were being “blackmailed” by the players with demands of exorbitant amounts to put in an appearance.
Management decisions have caused disequilibria, conflict and dissatisfaction – the appointments of coach and captain, the payments, etc. In January there was a players’ mutiny, a truce and again a revolt at the Pune training camp. By middle of the month, they were accused of “blackmail” and given an ultimatum: resume training or be sacked.
The international body FIH that organized the World Cup was perturbed at the developments. Vice-President Ondarza view was that:
The players have to remember that hockey is not like cricket, basketball or soccer where dollars roll in…It was not right on the players' part to come out all guns blazing against Hockey India. Hockey India can't do any thing more than it has promised.
Fact is that the players’ main demand was the payment of dues for the past year that had accumulated to about 4.5 lakh rupees per individual. The reports say:
Hockey India had told the players that it did not have the money to agree to the demands and that it could only offer a maximum of Rs 25,000 per player for the results of 2009.
The players at every level then, juniors and senior men and women, are expected to prove their patriotism while the amounts originally “promised” for participation remain outstanding months after the events are over.
Consequently the men went on strike, while the women wore black armbands at practice. As Digvijay Singh Deo reports:
Hockey India officials blame the players of being greedy and putting money before the country.
The team’s Spanish coach, however, struck a different note. Reports quote him as saying:
We have to understand that the players are very, very sad. Some of them were close to crying because they do not want to take the decision of stopping to play because they want to play, but I think all you will agree that they should be paid for playing. I am not from India, I am not the only one saying what we should do this, I am not saying what the Indian Government should do, but what I am reading in newspapers is that they should be paid and they should earn some money for playing in the national team.
To the disinterested public the money-related furore was embarrassing. It was shocking that the hockey coffers were so empty when surely there were some sponsorships or funds for the international tournaments. As it turned out, in issues between outgoing and incoming committees, the team sponsors had withheld payments for sometime.
Fortunately the crisis ended when “in the interest of hockey”, sponsors stepped up to resolve the impasse. Sahara India shelled out one crore INR “only for distribution to the players” and the show went on.
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