Poetry in Motion !!!

Few minutes into Novy’s radio commentary and I was already running down the memory lane, dribbling as fast as I could, through days… years… decades… till I reached the magnificent Shastri Nagar play ground…a ground which helped me learn that “Sports builds character”.

I stood on the ground; my small hands playfully caressing the magic wand ….I slowly bend down, started running and hopping as fast as I could…. The magic wand at 45 degrees, woven with beautiful navy blue strip, the hockey stick ruthlessly began combing the lush grass in zigzag manner.

It majestically rotated with speed in clockwise and anticlockwise direction, the ball sometimes bouncing on the rough terrain, gliding gently down the slopes, and yet within my reach …..I quickly dribbled one opponent, gazed around and looked for Sunil in the left flank, who wouldn’t miss a single opportunity to emulate the magic of Zafar Iqbal and hit a GOOOAAAALLLL!!!...

I jumped with joy and for a fleeting moment imagined myself transported in an era when Indian hockey symbolized poetry in motion.

Circa 1979
Mellivel D’mello and Jasdev Singh’s suave voice blared from the transistor. “Indian skipper Surjit Singh with the ball. Surjit passes the ball to the magician, Zafar Iqbal”, the best left out India has ever produced.

“Zafar Iqbal moves from left flank, like a cheetah, dribbles, and makes a short cross pass to Indian center forward Mohammad Shahid. Shahid jumps away from Tahir, the Pakistani forward and moves forward with the ball.”

In early 80’s Zafar Iqbal and Mohammad Shahid formed a deadly combination which no defenders in the world could stop. Pakistan had the great Hasan Sardar, Tahir Zaman and Shahbaz Ahmed.

Mellivel continues “Meanwhile the Pakistani sensation Shahbaz Ahmed attempts to tackle Mohd Shahid. Shahid avoids another rough tackle. Shahid still in possession of the ball moves rapidly and makes a quick diagonal pass to Zafar. Zafar meanwhile has rushed from his position and is standing on the edge of the D.”

“Zafar stops the short pass from Shahid, turns, dribbles two more opponents and cross passes to Shahid. Shahid pulls the ball and runs towards the unmarked left flank. Shahid zigzags into the corner, beats one opponent and turns. The ball is still glued to the stick. Shahid uses his wrist and gently scoops over the Pakistani defender. The ball moves from left to right, parallel to the goal post.”

Meanwhile Mellivel screams, “Zafar moves onto his right, quickly intercepts, and is in the center, almost near the 10 meter mark. The Pakistani goal keeper sees Zafar, rushes and lunges forward to stop Zafar. The goal keeper falls down.”

“Zafar quickly traps the ball and cleverly deflects to the right of the goal keeper. Zafar quickly leaps over the fallen goal keeper and even before the keeper gets up and turns behind…. Zafar pulls it sideways on the left and …a reverse flick and BANG …GOOOAAALLLLL….. A MAJESTIC GOAALLLL !!!…Zafar has done it again for India…”

Alas, it’s been ages since we have witnessed such magnificent wizardry from any Indian hockey team. The last time we saw such display was from Pargat Singh in 1985.

India was down 5-1 to Germany in Australia. There were still 15 minutes left to close of play. Somewhere in Melbourne, the Cricket Champions trophy was being played at the same time which had Shastri winning a shining Audi. Meanwhile on the hockey field, Pargat was single handedly changing the course of game. At the end of the game, the scores read Germany 5, India 5. Despite this win India stood sixth…

As Indians, we love and glorify individual brilliance more than team sports. No wonder we enjoy the exploits of individual cricketers, boxers, tennis players and blatantly denounce hockey, soccer, volleyball and even Kabbadi. Over the years, there have been some remarkable performances and individual brilliance from Dhanraj, Dileep Tirkey, and Prabhjot but on the whole, India has struggled since 1984 in our national game!

The problem with our hockey is that our players do manage to leave the crowd spellbound. The pace, precision and finesse often touch our emotional chords. But the end game, for all the nerve wracking moments, has unfortunately been defeat.

To add to our woes, our hockey is bereft of professional administrators and remains deprived of good infrastructure, sponsorship, dexterity, and glamour and supply chain. A small village in Punjab called Sansarpur and hockey are inseparable, if not synonymous. Remember the outstanding and talented forward Baljit Dhillon from Sansarpur, who along with the media savvy Dhanraj Pillai recreated the magic of Zafar and Shahid.

Unlike cricket, Hockey’s players hail from remote societies and are a motley collection of minorities: the Sikhs, the Muslims from Uttar Pradesh, the Coorgis, the Catholic boys from Orlem ( Malad) and Bandra, the tribals of Jharkhand and Orissa, the Manipuris, and, previously, Anglo-Indians.

Perhaps S.Thayagirajan inarguably the best known hockey scribe of India sums up well, “Competitive hockey is not about how well you play but how tactically you play for a decisive result.”

Isn’t it true? For those who watched the final last month, it must have been a revelation as to what modern hockey is all about. Forget those grass fields, pretty skills and supple wrists that Indians and Pakistanis were once known for and the attributes that had helped them rule the hockey kingdom in the distant past. Rather, today, it is all about astro -turf, fitness, speed and power besides tactical acumen of the players who can execute the plans on the pitch.

Come to think of, Indian hockey authorities would be kicking themselves for not hiring Ric Charlesworth, the legendary Aussie former captain and champion coach back in 2008 when he had offered to train the National side. Rather, Charlesworth was humiliated before he became a victim to vicious whispering campaign. Australia won the 2010 world championship defeating Germany, and don’t be surprised if Ric Charlesworth is still having the last laugh!

Perhaps one of the best ways to revive hockey is by creating interest among kids. About time parents gift young kids with hockey stick instead of only a cricket bat. So what if they play on road or on clay. At least we might be able to create some spectators if not make them a player. Unless there is a conscious effort from administrators to empower foreign coaches, tap talent at grass root level, start clubs in colonies, and explore avenues for sponsorship and entertainment, hockey will not survive. No wonder, Aslam Sher Khan’s autobiography titled “To Hell with Hockey” - continues to reverberate on Indian hockey lover’s lips.

“GOOOAAALLLLL, Well done Rajpal, India has equalized”….. Novy Kapadia’s sonorous voice kept blaring loudly in the car. That evening our Indian hockey team was playing against England, and invariably trying hard to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. By the time I reached home, India had lost …3-2 to England…. and I had lost my appetite.

Its strange but true….A world cup loss in T20 might fail to generate tears but a hockey match has the ability to choke and bring out the tears. In those 70 minutes, it generates tremendous patriotic fervor, and allows you to selflessly immerse in the experience, energy, enthusiasm and the excitement of the players and crowd.

Today the hockey stick has become a metaphor and with age perhaps replaced with an expensive golf club!…But the hands still yearns to grip the wooden magic wand….

Hopefully.. one day.. some day… like in Cricket, we will be able to find some Tendulkar and Lalit Modi who will be able to revive Indian Hockey!.