NEW DELHI — The year 1988 was full of disappointments, turmoil and petty squabbles on the Indian sports scene, as off field activities took precedence over actual games,
The year witnessed a marked decline in standards with national sports bodies more immersed in politicking the net result being debacles and disasters:
While the ‘government and sports cognoscenti talked volumes of taking sports to the masses, only elitist games, like cricket and bridge provided the saving grace internationally on a bleak canvas blotted by the murder of national badminton champion Syed Modi.
The government thrust guidelines on national associations which in turn resented them albeit weakly, keeping in view the Seoul Olympics. The result was confusion and lack of coordination, and New Delhi lost the bid to host the 1992 Commonwealth Games to Victoria (Canada).
The declining sports standards were reflected in parliament. where members sank their differences to criticize the sports bodies and demanded that sports be brought on the concurrent list.
Political considerations led to India forfeiting its Davis Cup World Group playoff match against Israel, while England cricket tour was called off when New Delhi objected to the inclusion of skippers Graham Gooch and seven others in the England squad for having sporting links with South Africa.
Politicking on the national level led to sure losers getting a berth ‘on the Seoul squad which, as expected, returned medal less.
Group rivalries ruled supreme in the Indian Olympic Association (10A) and affiliated bodies, while the Archery Association of India (AAI) cocked a snook at the government guidelines electing a president for the third consecutive term.
In cricket, India won the Sharjah and the third Asian Cup and defeated a visiting New Zealand side in the Test and one day series.
Earlier this year, India drew the four Test series (1-1) and lost the one dayers against the visiting Caribbeans.
India became the first Asian country to make the semifinal grade at the World Bridges Championship held at Venice in October.
The hockey scene, began on dismal note, with both senior and juniors failing in the international tournaments.
The seniors finished fifth in the second Indira Ghandi Gold Cup held in Lucknow, while the cubs were placed third in the inaugural Asia Cup tournament at Karachi.
Hockey continued its downhill journey but for a\brief patch in which India won the Marshalls’ International at Nairobi defeating Pakistan on two successive days.
Indians finished sixth in the Seoul Olympics.
Beginning of the year saw the emergency of 19 year old leg spinner Narender Hirwani, who grabbed 16 wickets on his maiden appearance in the fourth cricket Test at Madras against the West Indies in January, which India won by 255 runs.
Hirwani rounded off the year claiming 20 more victims in a three Test series against New Zealand during November December.
Led by Ravi Shastri, India won the Sharjah Cup, defeating Sri Lanka and New Zealand. After a six month ban was lifted, Dilip Vengsarkar was again installed as captain and led India in the Champions Trophy at SharJah, which they Just but brought the Asia Cup from Dhaka to the country, defeating Pakistan and then Sri Lanka in the finals Back home, as the England tour had been cancelled, the Indians were left to face only a depleted New Zealand side.
But before the first Test, selectors dropped a bombshell, omitting middle order batsman Mohinder Amarnath from the side Mohinder reacted angrily, describing the selectors as “a bunch of jockers” the Board has now formed a disciplinary committee to investigate the matter.
India beat New Zealand 21 in the Test series and made 40 in the one day series, with the fifth match at Jammu being washed out. New Zealand’s all-rounder Richard Hadlee became the highest wicket taker in the world, crossing the 374 mark in the first ‘Test at Bangalore.
Azharuddin became the fastest century maker in one day cricket when he slammed an unbeaten 108 off only 64 deliveries against New Zealand at Baroda, and Srikkanth the only bowler to have claimed five wickets in one day on two occasions.
Veteran Prakash Padukone led India into the final round of the Thomas Cup badminton tournament in the qualifying competition played at the indoor stadium here. In the women’s section, the Indians failed to qualify for the final round of the Uber Cup.
However, the game received a bloody blow when Syed Modi was gunned down in Luck now, leaving the sports fraternity stunned.
The seventh Jawaharial Nehru Gold Cup Football Tournament at Siliguri turned out to be a nightmare for the Indians as the hosts could manage just one point.
And in the Asian Club Football Championship held in Beijing Mohun Began put up a poor dis play and lost all the (three) matches without a fight
After making to the finals of the Davis Cup, India went down 0. 5 to Sweden without much resistance and then Indian trio of Vijay Amritraj, his brother, Anand, and Ramesh just could not get past Yugoslavia in the first round.
The fifth Asia Cup Archery Championship was held in Calcutta, which was won by South Korea. The three member Indian team won a bronze.
The biggest disappointment was India’s performance at Seoul. Though none expected miracles from Indian participants, but the way camps were conducted and tall claims were made prior to the Games the end result was shocking.
The selection of the athletic squad was reduced to a farce, and after many deliberations the Sports Ministry waived the standards set for reelection of the players for the Games.
The result was utter humiliation.
- T. Usha, once the nation’s pride was not physically fit, but still went to Seoul and gave one of her worst performances.
Same happened with other women athletes, the whole thing turning out to be tragic. The athletes, despite not being fit, went to Seoul and brought disgrace to the nation.
And the way the Sports Ministry and the Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) acted, it was indeed a sad sight. While the whole world watched new records being set. Indians held a trial in Seoul to select the fourth athlete for the 4×400 relay.
Swimmer Khazan Singh came from Australia and shooter Soma Dutta from the United States along with their foreign coaches but did nothing worth mentioning. The wrestlers and the archers were other failures though trained by the foreign coaches.
The weightlifter did slightly better, creating a new Commonwealth record while the boxers and yatchsmen just marked their presence at Seoul
A physically fit hockey team finished sixth, a little consolation.
Back home, two international hockey tournaments were held for the junior men and women, the junior women tournament was won by South Korea. India failed to qualify while Pakistan and South Korea qualified in the junior men tournament. India finished third and for the first time failed to qualify for the main tournament.
China claimed the second International Invitation Women’s Basketball Tournament held here defeating South Korea. India here also finished third.
The eighth Himalayan car rally had its quota of excitement, tension and thrill. Japan’s Kenjiro Shinozuka retained the title in this year’s rally which had heavily chopped routes.
In the domestic circuit, Tamil Nadu annexed the Ranji Trophy championship after a lapse of 33 years, beating Railways in the final.
North Zone retained the Vizzy Trophy defeating West Zone by seven wickets. North Zone also won the Vijay Merchant Trophy beating East Zone by nine wickets.
Punjab regained the Santosh Trophy, the symbol of national football supremacy, with the hosts Kerala finishing runners-up.
Goa’s Salgaocar Club won the 12th Federation Cup defeating Border Security Force. Calcutta’s Mohun Bagan defeated their arch rivals East Bengal to lift the Rovers Cup. Kerala lifted the women’s Federation Football Cup beating
Manipur 42 in tie breaker. Bast Bengal claimed the third All Air lines Gold Cup edging out Moham medan Sporting in the final. Mad hyamgram High School (Bengal) won the Subroto Cup and Korean Bank team took away the DCM Cup.
Indian Railways won the men’s and women’s national hockey championships. Indian Airlines lifted the prestigious Nehru Hockey ‘Trophy, youthful IFFCO XI claimed the Beighton CUP, Namdhari Club, Sirsa, won the Sanjay Gandhi Tournament, while the Border Security Force claimed the Aga Khan Cup.
Olympian Balwinder Singh was involved in brawl with umpire during a Nehru hockey match and has been banned by the Railway Sports Control Board for three years with three other players.
- Sommayya, announced his retirement from the international hockey, while Indian Hockey Federation dropped Mervyn Fernandes, Mohd Shahid and R.S. Rawat from the list of probables selected for the various international tournament.
Railway won the 43rd Senior National Cycling Championship dethroning the defending champion Bihar.
Maharashtra won the 14th national women’s chess championship.
Services made a clean sweep of the national boxing championship.
Olympian Khazan Singh emerged the individual champion in the 44th National Aquatic Championship and in the women’s section Lorraine Verghese became the champion.
Geet Sethi retained the National Billiards and Snooker title, and Meherwan aruwala his squash title.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 13, 1989
