The of Indian hockey team in the Sixth World Cup Hockey Tournament in London has not come as a surprise.
Without in any way underrating the performance of the other sides what hurts is the pathetic display of the Indian team, There was no power or precision in their game and they did not play well even in patches. The other sides completely over whelmed them through an excellent display of skill and tenacity. The English goalkeeper, said to be the best in the world, was never put to any serious test and allowed to maintain his reputation of being impregnable.
It is time those at the helm of hockey affairs analysed the whole situation to find out the real cause of this debacle. Was it due to bad selection and ouster of star players? Was it the frequent change of trainers over the last year which destablised the whole team? Whatever the ‘cause, the situation deserves serious attention of those concerned with the future of hockey in To start with, the present team should be scrapped in to to, and the selection committee disbanded. The team needs a fresh foundation so that a strong edifice can be erected. Grooming youngsters is no doubt important but care should be taken not to discard the experienced players who have consistently proved their worth. When other countries persist with veterans why should we discard stars who are much younger in age? The question that perturbs the mind at the moment is whether there would be an Indian hockey team in the running for the next Champions Trophy? Would our boys be playing or sitting on the sidelines watching the six participating teams? Indian hockey has never touched such a low, and those conducting its affairs have much to answer for.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 31, 1986
