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Hockey India

The recent players' rebellion was waiting to explode. Power-hungry officials are bullying the national game.
By Soumitra Bose and Sunil Taneja
The recent happenings in Indian hockey remind us of a current Aamir Khan movie that has made the box office for all the good and controversial reasons. ‘Three Idiots' is a satire on our higher education system that teaches one how to participate in a rat race for excellence in life.
The players' rebellion that recently crippled the national hockey camp for the World Cup is the real reflection of the state of Indian hockey. Players' camps are like dormant volcanoes waiting to explode. Not only pending wages and promised incentives, senior stars were upset that the bigwigs were playing havoc with the life and careers of many players like the blinded goalkeeper, Baljeet Singh.
Hit by a golf ball in the eye during a training camp in Pune, Baljeet's international career is on hold. The goalkeeper, who was India's No. 1 till he lost vision ahead of the tour of Europe last year, is a classic example of official apathy and lack of governance.
It's not a question of money, alone. Hockey is a dangerous business. One of the fastest sport on earth after ice hockey and basketball, field hockey played on synthetic turf, can be a deadly affair. Why are our players not insured by the national federation (Hockey India)? Baljeet's bitter verbal war with the sports ministry on financial aid towards his treatment in the US could have been avoided if he had proper insurance.
Former Indian skipper and goalkeeper Ashish Ballal, known for his acid tongue, has compared the treatment of national hockey stars to the much-publicized Rathore-Ruchika case. He has rightly called the events of this week, the "rape of Indian hockey," asking a pertinent question: "Who will punish hockey's Rathore?"
The problem is Indian hockey has many Rathores. The game has been consistently "molested" from time to time. At least on one count, India's counterparts in Pakistan are relatively better off. At least players have not walked out of a World Cup camp in Pakistan because they have not been paid their legitimate dues. It can be the ultimate disgrace.
Unlike the Pakistan Hockey Federation or the Indian cricket Board, Indian hockey has no structure in place for players' wages. Former president of the now disbanded Indian Hockey Federation, KPS Gill once said: "Match fees are like bribe!" But, at least Gill shared the spoils with the national team whenever they won anything significant.
Many of our national players are employed by private or public bodies. Most players originating from the smaller states like Jharkhand don't have jobs. For them to continue with hockey, there has to be some financial guarantee. Who will provide this?
The Hockey India bosses presented the international hockey vice-president in front of the media the day their talks failed with the players in Pune. Antonio von Ondarza said he was "surprised" that Indian hockey is facing such a crisis. Ondarza is the FIH emissary to resolve Hockey India's administrative issues. He surely was surprised, but is he aware of the socio-economic background of our national players? Is Ondarza aware of the fact that many Indian players belong to families below the poverty line?
Official apathy towards players is nothing new. Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand died in a general ward of AIIMS, Delhi on December 3 1979! So, Baljeet's case doesn't come as a surprise.
Hockey India is uniquely suffering from a lack of governance. It is remote controlled by the Indian Olympic Association boss Suresh Kalmadi, who is also the Commonwealth Games organizing committee chairman. Heading a sports federation is a favourite ‘hobby' of our politicians. It brings them fame, gives them enormous power and international recognition. And if the sport is cricket or hockey, it's nothing like it. After cricket, India is known globally for hockey. So who wouldn't like to head Hockey India?
The chaos leading to the Hockey India elections clearly reflects the power politics. Kalmadi is already under fire for the doubts he has left in everyone's mind on hosting a successful Commonwealth Games. With about 10 months to go, Delhi seems grossly under-prepared and there is no dearth in funding.
The Hockey India president Ashok Mattoo sounded helpless when the players stuck to their guns and refused to take part in the camp. Mattoo said Hockey India was "a newborn organization" and didn't have the finances to pay the players. He wanted the players to check the accounts. It was one of the weirdest "offers" made to national players. But don't blame Mattoo. When a national organization runs on an ad-hoc basis and loves to be remote-controlled, chaos is inevitable.
Kalmadi seemed to arrive like a messiah. One wonders why he took so much time. Probably he thought pressure tactics and the time-tested emotional blackmail of telling players "Play for your country, die for the national jersey" will work wonders. The players, for a change, stood united.
Kalmadi, the shrewd politician that he is, knows to time his arrival on the big stage. He promised the funds, the goodies and the players relented. But wait till you hear that the players have finally got their dues. The officials are brilliant in dribbling past the toughest of situations. A poor show in the World Cup, and that won't be a surprise, can change the entire equation.
Emotions have run high after the ugly episode. Hockey lovers are willing to loosen their purse strings. Sponsors Sahara are willing to pay their fees but hockey insiders know how the Sahara bosses hate to see eye to eye with the Hockey India officials. One of the brothers of the Sahara Parivar, JB Roy, is a staunch rival of the current Hockey India honchos.
The silver lining is that the money is there to be tapped for hockey. The question is who will collect the booty? A democratically elected federation is the need of the hour. Will Indian hockey learn from its mistakes?

Hockey World Cup 2010 Fixtures

According to event itinerary released by the International Hockey Federation today, India will play Pakistan in the third Pool B match of the opening day, while Spain will take on South Africa in the tournament opener followed by the encounter between England and Australia.
India will next play Australia on March 2, and then take on Spain on March 4, followed by encounter against England on March 6 and finally round off their Pool stage with the game against South Africa on March 8.
Meanwhile, Olympic and World champion Germany will commence their defence on the second day on March 1 against Korea in Pool A. The day will also see New Zealand taking on Canada and the Netherlands facing Argentina.
The semifinals of the tournament are scheduled for March 11, while the final will be played on March 13.
Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 schedule:
Pool A: Argentina, Canada, Germany, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand.
Pool B: Australia, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain.
Sunday February 28, 2010: 16:35 B South Africa vs Spain, 18:35 B Australia vs England, 20:35 B India vs Pakistan.
Monday March 1, 2010: 16:35 A New Zealand vs Canada, 18:35 A Germany vs Korea, 20:35 A Netherlands vs Argentina.
Tuesday March 2, 2010: 16:35 B South Africa vs England, 18:35 B Pakistan vs Spain, 20:35 B India vs Australia.
Wednesday March 3, 2010: 16:35 A Canada vs Germany, 18:35 A Argentina vs Korea, 20:35 A New Zealand vs Netherlands.
Thursday March 4, 2010: 16:35 B South Africa vs Australia, 18:35 B England vs Pakistan, 20:35 B India vs Spain.
Friday March 5, 2010: 16:35 A Korea vs New Zealand, 18:35 A Netherlands vs Canada, 20:35 A Germany vs Argentina.
Saturday March 6, 2010: 16:35 B Australia vs Spain, 18:35 B South Africa vs Pakistan, 20:35 B India vs England.
Sunday March 7, 2010: 16:35 A Korea vs Canada, 18:35 A New Zealand vs Argentina, 20:35 A Germany vs Netherlands.
Monday March 8, 2010: 16:35 B Spain vs England, 18:35 B Australia vs Pakistan, 20:35 B India vs South Africa.

Tuesday March 9, 2010: 16:35 A Germany vs New Zealand, 18:35 A Netherlands vs Korea, 20:35 A Canada vs Argentina.
Wednesday March 10, 2010: Rest Day.
Thursday March 11, 2010: 15:35 Clas.11-12 6th Pool A vs 6th Pool B, 18:05 Semifinal 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B, 20:35 Semifinal 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A.
Friday March 12, 2010: 15:35 Clas. 9-10 5th Pool A vs 5th Pool B, 18:05 Clas. 7-8 4th Pool A vs 4th Pool B, 20:35 Clas.
5-6 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B.
Saturday March 13, 2010: 15:35 Bronze medal match, 18:05 Final.

Flectcher's Pressure Reduced After The Defenders Return

With up to eight men injured at times over the past six weeks, Fletcher was one of the men Sir Alex Ferguson called on to help ease United through the crisis. An appearance at right-back was not entirely unusual given Fletcher did the job for a short while. But when it came to occupying one of the positions in a three-man defence that also included Michael Carrick and rookie Ritchie De Laet at Fulham, Fletcher's lack of experience was exposed. The demolition at Craven Cottage that day was viewed by many as the end of United's title hopes. Instead they managed to get Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic on to the pitch at Hull and again on Wednesday when they featured against Wigan and the impact was immediate. Successive wins have cut Chelsea's lead at the top to two points, slashed the Blues' goal difference advantage by seven and restored a feeling of optimism to Old Trafford.
"I am glad the defenders are back," said Fletcher. "We were desperate for that.
"It is okay in one-off games to have midfielders playing out of position. When it goes to a run of four or five games it is inevitable that mistakes are going to happen because it is not natural." It could be argued Bobby Zamora, as improved and in-form as he is, is no Cristiano Ronaldo and there was no excuse for United subsiding at Craven Cottage quite as badly as they did. But Fletcher believes such an argument overlooks the basic facts. "It is not as if we are doing it in training or in the Sunday League," he said. "You are talking about Premier League and Champions League matches and you are in a position you have never played in during your entire life. "It is very difficult. "We went to Fulham with basically just one defender fit in Patrice (Evra). "It was important for the team that we got our defenders back fit because they are top class."
While Fletcher will still be on standby to fill in for a couple of weeks, once Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand return to duty, he should be free to concentrate on his midfield exploits. For now though, he is concentrating on what, for him, would be a first Old Trafford meeting with Leeds. The Yorkshire outfit have always shared a hate-hate relationship with their traditional Roses rivals and with 9,000 fans accompanying them across the M62, it promises to be a pretty heated occasion, on and off the field. After that comes a meeting with Manchester City in the Carling Cup before Premier League battle resumes again at Birmingham on January 9.
"Everyone looks ahead and speaks about the Christmas period but the matches we are into now straight afterwards are just as important," said Fletcher. "I just take each game as it comes and think all the other players do the same thing.
"You can look too far ahead of yourself and start thinking about what is to come whether you have an easy run of games. "But it never works out like that. We have the FA Cup, the Carling Cup semi-final and then more important league games.

Best Place For A Colony In Lunar

Building a home near a moon crater or a lunar sea may sound nice, but moon colonists might have a much better chance of survival if they just lived in a hole. That's the message sent by an international team of scientists who say they've discovered a protected lunar "lava tube" -- a deep, giant hole -- that might be well suited for a moon colony or a lunar base. The vertical hole, in the volcanic Marius Hills region on the moon's near side, is 213 feet wide and is estimated to be more than 260 feet deep, according to findings published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. More important, the scientists say, the hole is protected from the moon's harsh temperatures and meteorite strikes by a thin sheet of lava. That makes the tube a good candidate for further exploration or possible inhabitation, the article says. "Lunar lava tubes are a potentially important location for a future lunar base, whether for local exploration and development, or as an outpost to serve exploration beyond the Moon," writes the team, led by Junichi Haruyama, a senior researcher with the Japanese space agency JAXA.
"Any intact lava tube could serve as a shelter from the severe environment of the lunar surface, with its meteorite impacts, high-energy UV radiation and energetic particles, and extreme diurnal temperature variations." Lava tubes have previously been discovered on the moon, but the scientists say the new hole is notable because of its lava shield and because it does not appear to be prone to collapse. Lave tubes exist on Earth and also have been found on Mars. The cylinder-shaped caverns can be carved out by lava flows, volcanic eruptions, seismic activity or ground collapse resulting from meteoroid strikes. The scientists used high-resolution images from a Japanese moon orbiter called SELENE to discover this lunar lava tube. The findings were published November 12, but they grabbed the attention of the public this week.
NASA is reportedly working on plans to return to the moon by 2020 and to set up a temporary lunar colony by 2025 as part of the Constellation Program. Funding for the program, however, remains somewhat in question.

Schumi Still Got The Fire In Him

The former Renault boss was at the helm of Benetton when Schumacher secured his first two championships, and is of the opinion that given the right machinery the German superstar could still challenge for top spot. "Knowing him, I think he's reflected on it for a long time, and if he's decided to come back it's because he's convinced he can still be quick," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The last season demonstrates this clearly, because the driver who's become world champion is certainly not the best on the scene." "I'm convinced that, had he been physically fit, he would have come back last season already with Ferrari. "Michael belongs to that category of racing drivers who just can't have a normal life, who can't stay away from racing. "And besides, I'll repeat an old idea of mine: when he quit three years ago, he wasn't ready to retire, he could have been competitive for two or three more seasons," added the Italian. While Schumacher may be confident he can challenge for the Driver's crown, Briatore is slightly less optimistic, suggesting that the 40-year-old's ability alone will not be enough to propel him to the front of the grid, with the strength of the Mercedes GP outfit key to the winning equation. "Well, I don't know [if he can win the title]," said Briatore. "For instance I believe that Ferrari will be extremely strong next year with Alonso and Massa. "I'll just say that Ross [Brawn] knows him well and that Mercedes has always chased him. But then I repeat: the car is fundamental," he added.

FA Cup Run Could Help Us

Their dismal form before Christmas saw an early exit from the Champions League, while they slipped to a league position that seriously threatens any chance of a return to Europe's elite competition next season. But back-to-back victories over the festive season have been grasped at by Benitez as proof that the situation at Anfield is improving. And if Liverpool can beat Coca-Cola Championship side Reading in the third round and make it three wins on the trot for the first time since September, Benitez will start to believe his luck is turning. Liverpool will be without the suspended Javier Mascherano, while full-back Glen Johnson has been told he will be out for at least a month with a torn medial ligament in his right knee.
With crunch Barclays Premier League games on the horizon, Benitez, who is being linked with Atletico Madrid winger Maxi Rodriguez, would normally be expected to make wholesale changes for a cup tie against lower division opposition. But the Spaniard sees no reason to tinker with a side which may finally have found its feet. "The feeling after the win at Aston Villa this week was really good, it can only improve confidence," he said. "After the way things had been going, we needed to start winning some games in a row. We have now won twice on the trot in the league against Wolves and Villa over Christmas and are aiming to add to that run against Reading.
"We had been very close to some good form, but the confidence is now really high so hopefully we can continue in this way with the same mentality." The real prize for Benitez, though, is still a top four finish, so a run of victories to keep form and confidence high is imperative.
He said: "It will be very difficult for us to finish in the top four: Spurs, Manchester City and Aston Villa are all pushing very hard for fourth place.
"We have to keep working and keep going right to the end. We know there will be difficulties, but we must keep our confidence and add to the two wins in two games we achieved over Christmas. "Now it is the perfect time to go on a winning run, and a victory and good performance at Reading will add to our growing confidence. "We had to win one, then two and now we want three. If we do that before we face Spurs at Anfield in our next league game, it will be a real boost to our confidence." Benitez promises a strong side at the Madejski stadium, and that suggests that Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will be involved. He said: "The FA Cup is always important, but when you are out of the Champions League it becomes a major trophy. "Our fans are still thinking of winning silverware this season, so that means the FA Cup. It is a very important competition for us now.
"We must look at our squad and decide what we are going to do at Reading. We have more training sessions to see how they are, but because the competition has added importance now maybe we will not change too many players. "We know we are facing Spurs eight days later, but that does give us more time to get players fit so we can field a strong team at Reading." Mindful of his experience in losing at Burnley in his first taste of the FA Cup as Liverpool manager, Benitez added: "We cannot underestimate Reading. It is something you must be very careful about in the FA Cup.
"They are at a difficult time, having just changed their manager. They are looking to improve and they will be difficult for us.