Kriti Chauhan
India’s six-medal win in the recent London Olympics might look beautiful to everyone; after all, it is our highest chase in any Olympics so far. Nonetheless, when you refer the medal tally, the world’s seventh largest nation in area and the second most populated nation do not stand anywhere.
Sports and outdoors are always been disregarded in our country, for education is necessary to get a government job. Still we celebrate (well, celebrate does not sound appropriate), okay mark 29th August as National Sports Day to commemorate the birth of Dhyan Chand, the famous hockey player.
To remind everyone, if they are mistaken that cricket is our national game, it is Hockey in reality but forlornly we didn’t get through even one Hockey match in London. Sounds bitter, doesn’t it?
Considering sports as a career in our country is a taboo. Although one can witness moderations now, but small cities and the small mentality are far away. It is not exactly people’s fault either, for it is necessary to have an appropriate court/field for the particular game. Keep apart the safety equipment.
On a grass root level, schools are one platform that could give heights to hidden talents. However, why is it always that studies grab the 1st position, while sports and outdoors get a consolation prize? In an average school week, the outdoor periods are not even 1/4th of the tuition hours. Amidst, we dream of getting 10 medals or more in Rio, what an irony.
However, there is one sport in India that has an idiosyncratic impact on the mindset of the billions, that surely we all know is cricket where Lacs and crores of rupees are spent on welfare of cricket academies, whereas not a penny is available for hockey or other games.
It is a massacre if Indian cricket team loses against xyz country; contrarily it is Who-the-hell-cares situation when it comes to hockey. Yet, we celebrate National Sports Day on the birthday of a Hockey Player.
The point is why our policies are so adamant towards a particular issue. Alternatively, can we say, extremism has grabbed too much of us. At one hand, cricket players live like kings and on the other, the national game is in ruins.
Tons of money is showered over an Indian if he/she wins a bronze medal, yet the government fails to notice that few lacs should also be spent on development of sports so that gold medal might replace the bronze.
Dozens of people have sought this question a dozen more times, a movie like Chak de India was a blockbuster, but sadly, hockey still remains busted in India. “Dil do hockey ko” was yet another revival slogan, however many hearts broke with the defeat of the Indian contingent.
Taking account of institutions in our country, there must be 1000s of coaching classes for CPT and IIT preps’, but very few that teach how to hold a tennis racquet.
National sports day is to mark sports and games as an essential part of our lives. Too bad, that we are happy remembering this fact on one day and forgetting it the rest of the year.
well said kriti ! its a real shame that we indians are crazy for cricket and not for hockey. I wonder how many even care if its Major Dyanchand’s birthday,who has redefined this game with his magical stick. Even Don Bradman has once commented ‘Dyanchand scores goal like we score runs in cricket !’ On sachin’s Birthday people have shared and posted like anything, no offence, and i am also a die hard fan of legendary master blaster, but people don’t have time to give a moment for this Legend of Field Hockey. Its heart breaking to see hockey in such a bad shape. Not only government but we also are responsible, as national game we need to give our team some morale support and should cheer for them, instead we would prefer to watch an IPLT20 match. In fact media too has a role, they will come up with heroic stories of cricketers every now and then but will never discuss the problems and struggles faced by players, devoting life for other sports. Not only hockey but other sports will meet the same fate until we stop buying cricket nonsense.
Exactly Sir and it is better to make cricket our national game instead of witnessing the downfall of the present. Worst is that nothing can be done about it now. No matter how harder the government tries .