Indian hockey fortunes inextricably linked to Punjab Police

Sports in India is yet not professional enough to offer a career. Key to sporting success has been inevitably linked to institutions providing support in terms of jobs. Uncertain times like these make the support even more crucial when forces beyond human control have caused a global shut-down of all sporting activity.
And it's nothing new. One of the reasons Punjab emerged as the cradle of Indian hockey is the support that it got from its institutions like police, electricity board and the like. Hark back to 1946 when then Inspector General (equivalent of current Director General) of Punjab Police, Sir John Bennett, had a young Balbir Singh, a promising talent from Lahore's Sikh National College, "arrested" from Delhi and "coerced" into accepting the offer of a post of Assistant Sub-Inspector.
Rest as they say is history! 
Balbir Sr., who bade adieu to the world on May 25, 2020, at the age of 96, went on to win three Olympic gold medals (1948 London, 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne) is stuff of legends. Five goals in the 6-1 win over the Netherlands in the Helsinki gold medal clash is a record that still stands.
But more importantly, partition saw Balbir move to Ludhiana where he started work as a Punjab Police inspector.
Through the years, Punjab Police has been headed by several hockey loving officers ... Ashwini Kumar, Inder Mohan Mahajan, Kanwar Pal Singh Gill to name a few. The three went on to head the Indian Hockey Federation should hardly be a surprise.
Punjab Police has been at the forefront of Indian hockey. Late Surjit Singh to Pargat Singh to Jugraj Singh have all marshaled the Indian defence and were connected with Punjab Police at one time or another. A list of hockey Olympians from Punjab Police could veritably read like a who's who of the game!
Its almost a given that the best players in the state would join the police force, even though para-military forces did offer options. Little wonder that at least 10 players, including skipper Ajitpal Singh, of the 1975 World Cup winning squad were from Border Security Force, Jalandhar. 
Of late, priorities have changed as police duties get tougher in modern times. But hockey in Punjab still has a close relationship with the police force. Hopefully the police force will once again be at the forefront of the search to regain the lost glory!
The uniform seems to do the trick!

Rushed restart for sports may prove counter-productive

A teensy-weensy virus has left the world as we know it reeling. Nothing is like it was before March, 2020, and is highly likely that life would not be the same as before any time soon.

The world of sports can hardly be any different.

Even though attempts are being made world-wide to get sporting contests back into action, it has to be done with utmost caution. One little slip and everything could come crashing down.

Sports have reluctantly accepted empty arenas as the new standard. But for the show to go on at any level, the competition has to be credible. For that to happen, sports persons need to move around from one place to another but with the threat of a Covid19 infection hanging in the air, it may yet be some time before travel across international borders becomes a reality.

For some sports disciplines like football, it is not so difficult to manage travel within a country. That allows the national league competitions in Europe to kick off, though only Germany has seen any real action so far. France and the Netherlands have already called time on their respective leagues but Spain and England continue to push ahead, albeit with baby steps.
Clubs have started training but are careful to avoid any unnecessary contact among players. Physical conditioning apart, clubs need to be more wary of keeping things "clean" since safe travel becomes a challenge, not just for players and officials but also TV crews. After all, with no end in sight for stadium gates to be opened for spectators, TV remains the only medium to carry the action across to the homes. And TV broadcast involves movement of equipment and crew across from one venue to another, thereby further raising the risks and costs.
USA may be slightly better off since their sports leagues feature mostly home grown talent with even the foreign players making the country their home since the competitions stretch into several months.
International sport, however, is a different story altogether. With a ban on cross border travel, sports like cricket, golf, tennis, badminton, etc. which depend on multi-national participation must wait before they can resume action. Low key competition may just not be as attractive to TV viewers, and hence broadcasting channels, to bring in the revenue that would support the event.
Restart may indeed be the buzzword but caution cannot be thrown to the winds. All it takes is one mis-step to bring everything back to a grinding halt. 
Motto must be ... Better safe than sorry!

IOA officials must avoid washing dirty linen in public

It was brewing for some time. This power tussle between the top functionaries of the Indian Olympic Association ... president Narinder Batra and secretary-general Rajeev Mehta ... has been waiting to happen for quite a while.
Foundations of the rift was laid long ago when Batra, despite laying down office in Hockey India when he stepped up to take stewardship of FIH, remained pretty much hands-on as far as IOA was concerned. His regular interactions with government officials, both in the ministry of youth affairs and sports as well as Sports Authority of India, didn't go down well with Mehta who expected to be running the show even in his second term in office much the same way as he did in his first!
The latest provocation has been the opening of SAI training facilities for sports persons and Batra's enthusiastic backing of the move. Mehta chose to disagree with the IOA president saying the move could jeopardise the health and welfare of elite athletes.
Mehta would do well to remember that IOA is only an apex body with little or no control over the day to day functioning of various sports. It is within the purview of IOA to interact with the MYAS and SAI as far as training and other related facilities are made available to country's top sports persons but beyond that it is best left to the experts in each field.
Batra, quite smartly, used his presence in Delhi through the Covid19 pandemic to take charge of the co-ordination with government bodies, leaving the secretary-general fuming since Mehta felt it was his role being usurped by the president.
Be that as it may, the public utterances by both officials does not help the cause of sports. After all it is for the benefit of sports that officials must perform and when they begin to disagree over petty issues, things do not augur well. 
Opening training facilities for sports persons is a move in the right direction as society hits the restart button, albeit with great care. SAI on its own has laid down a Standard Operating Procedure for all training facilities though it may not be all encompassing but at least a start has been made.
Individual athlete has the choice to utilise an SAI training facility or be on his/her own depending upon the level of comfort. But top IOA functionaries arguing about such affairs is hardly a solution that Indian sports needs in such unprecedented times.
What has emerged from the rather unsavoury public exchange is a fight for supremacy that could have been easily avoided. Even now its not too late to stop washing dirty linen in public!
It will only hurt IOA and Indian sport!

Too early to push Ganguly into ICC

First it was Englishman David Gower. Now former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who runs cricket affairs in his home country, is rooting for former Indian captain Sourav Gnaguly to take over as chairman of the International Cricket Council when incumbent Shashank Manohar's term ends in June, 2020.
Ganguly has had a safe run so far both as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India alongside his responsibilities as head of Cricket Association of Bengal. No doubt, Ganguly has been making the right moves in his twin administrative positions but stepping up to the ICC may leave him a bit exposed as the responsibility needs a vast amount of experience in juggling both the interests of affiliated boards and players.
It's a proven fact that Ganguly has managed to steer the ship in most difficult times. His being catapulted into Team India's leadership is just a case in point. Global cricket was going through an upheaval following the match-fixing saga. But the then fondly called "Prince of Kolkata" was up to the challenge and put Indian cricket back on the right track.
Cricket in India has never looked back since and with Ganguly taking over the CAB top post it was only a matter of time he moved into the BCCI. That it happened much sooner than even he would have anticipated is evidence of the confidence he enjoys in the cricket fraternity.
The same confidence now draws the call for him to guide ICC through the unprecedented crisis that the world of sport as a whole finds itself in. But ICC may yet be uncharted territory for the stylish left-handed batsman as he continues to consolidate his grip on Indian cricket affairs. 
More than money, its the safe restart of cricket that Ganguly must negotiate at present. Suspension of the hugely popular and financially lucrative Indian Premier League is only part of the challenge. Getting the players back on the field of play without putting their physical well-being into jeopardy would prove a major headache for even the most experienced of men.
For one, Ganguly has shown right from his playing days that he is not one to shy away from a battle. But cricket administration needs him to also work as a diplomat, balancing interests of different nations at every level. Members countries, both at the Test level as well as associates, each present a different need which the ICC must look into as it moves through an uncertain future.
India, without a doubt, has to provide the leadership for international cricket to be put back on track. But it may be too early to hand the ICC mantle to Ganguly for now. Experienced administrator that Manohar is, he deserves to be allowed to remain in his post through the current turbulence. The man has had a pretty smooth run so far and there's little doubt about his ability to govern. Other international sports bodies, like field hockey, have already done away with elections scheduled for 2020.
Ganguly and India would be better served if the present BCCI president is allowed more time to learn the ropes at the highest levels of sports administration. As BCCI president he already has a major contribution in ICC affairs
Best to let the man himself decide when he wishes to step up to the plate!

Cricket's survival cannot be tied to IPL season

The Indian Premier League, since its 2008 launch, has become the richest cricket tournament in the world. Without doubt IPL has provided many a player the platform for global recognition while churning out loads of cash for not just hosts Board of Control for Cricket in India and its partners but other national boards as well.
Financial implications of a "no show" may be pretty big but it cannot be expected to threaten the very survival of the game, as one former senior IPL official opined.
Former IPL head honcho Sunder Raman has gone on record to say that world cricket's very survival could be threatened if the tournament is not held during 2020!
Not really true, though this year's IPL was scheduled for a March-end start and hence nearly all commercial commitments would have already been wrapped up. But with no IPL due to the worldwide Covid19 pandemic, there is little chance that the money would be paid at all. In fact, some partners may want a refund on their advance as the economy reels under weeks of forced closure.
Without a doubt everyone associated with IPL ... from BCCI and franchises to players, officials, trainers, ground staff, stadium managements, host associations, hospitality and travel ... stands to suffer a big loss. Many might not even make it through, pretty much like the airlines and tourism industry.
However, cricket boards are not solely dependent on IPL revenue for survival. Even before 2008 there was plenty of cricket played around the world but yes its valuation was not as high as it became post the IPL marketing blitz.
BCCI, for one, certainly has enough reserves to see it through the pandemic. It has already announced its intention to not enforce a pay cut on its contracted players.
Others may not be as fortunate but to see their survival itself tied to the staging of the IPL may be a bit of an over-reach. The tournament does generate money like nothing before but most of the benefits accrue to the players, both home and abroad. 
Most likely, foreign boards would not be losing sleep over the IPL suspension. More worrisome for them would be sword dangling over the ICC World T20 scheduled for later in the year. 
There is indeed intense lobbying to replace the ICC event itself with the IPL. Actually not a bad idea as far as India is concerned. With international travel still in limbo, everything is up in the air.
But will the ICC oblige? Only time will tell ...

Biased selection has curtailed many a promising sports career

India's cricket captain Virat Kohli in a social media interaction with his football opposite number Sunil Chhetri made a frank admission about the malaise that affects sports right across the board. Corruption in selection can mar many a deserving talent and has been happening without fail not only in India but across the world.
Kohli's late father was asked to provide that "little extra" to ensure his selection in the Delhi age group squad. Virat Kohli may now be considered the best batsmen in the world apart from being touted as a players' captain, but a couple of more selection disappointments early in life could well have killed his passion for the game.
That he fought his way through to captain India from the under-19 to the senior squad is proof of not only his prodigious talent but also his steely determination to go all the way to top!
One recalls a youthful Kohli, fresh from under-19 success, biding his time in the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa and grabbing his chance with both hands once Yuvraj Singh was injured.
But he had traveled thus far despite the Delhi selection matters going against him early makes him an exception rather than the rule.
Selection committees, across all sports, are well known for their sharp likes and dislikes. Government has tried to put a balanced structure in place with its own nominees through various routes for national selection committees but down the line its still not so transparent. Performance evaluation is what a selection committee is expected to do and are considered the most competent to do the job. The moment other considerations come into play, bias is bound to set in and fairness is tossed out of the window.
This global pandemic has given the world of sport to pause and re-calibrate. Those that can set their house in order will continue to flourish. If not, a definite slide awaits! 
Kohli's remarks should serve as an eye-opener of how deep this malaise is.Time is ripe to stem the rot!

Strict protocols needed to open sports complexes

The government of India has finally declared it's intention to keep sports complexes out of its list of restricted activities. Great news for both sports persons as well as sports enthusiasts, though there is a clear bar on entry of spectators. But it does raise hopes of sporting competitions beaming into homes rather than a complete blank!
India, though, is the second most populous country in the world. The sheer size of its citizenry makes its bigger in size than entire Europe put together. It also brings along with it unique advantages and challenges.
The biggest hurdle for sports arenas is to regulate entry and keep a strict vigil on those permitted to use the facilities to prevent any spread of the dreaded Covid19 virus. A strict security and screening protocol needs to be put in place to prevent any kind of outbreak of the virus which so abruptly caused a global shutdown like never before!
Its a brave new world that will step out and it must realise that restrictions need to be placed judiciously so as not to put unnecessary curbs on the training regimens of top level sports persons and yet ensuring their safety from the pandemic.
Easier said than done, but professionals need to be consulted before the doors are thrown open. Sports training, by its very nature, is all about physical and mental preparation. Sweat and toil are routine so safety measures need to take that into account.
As the good old saying goes, its horses for courses! 
Staggered training times for different sports disciplines along with time-limit blocks for use of gyms and spas which are more susceptible to viral spread. More than the sports persons, it is going to be a learning curve for coaches and trainers as the regimens will need to be tailored to fit into the new restrictions that will allow for a safe environment for all.
The problem of Covid19 isn't going anywhere in a hurry. The quicker people learn to come to terms with restrictions to keep the viral infection at bay the better opportunities could be there for all. After all there are no national or international competitions round the corner. It allows competitors to ease into their revised training methods and schedules to achieve best results.
Watchword is ... Safety First!