What ails Indian Hockey, can we bring back the glory days?
Hollerin' For Hockey
There was a time when India strode like a Colossus on the International
Hockey arena, riding rough shod over teams with an ease that bordered on
contempt. Those were the days when India hammered in goals like Ricky
Ponting hammers most bowling attacks today. Indian hockey of the days gone
by, stirred visions. of a magician called Dyan Chand who once had his hockey
stick checked to see if some magnetic force was attracting the ball to his
hockey stick! The brute accurate force of a Mukhbain Singh striking penalty
corners home. The gallant goalkeeper Laxman defending his citadel like he
was defending the LOC, without a helmet or the ostentatious safety trappings
of today. The mercurial Merwyn Fernandes weaving and dancing his way to
goal. The formidable Balbir Singh of Western Railway who was pure lightning
on the right flank. Leslie Claudius of Calcutta Customs, the Rock of
Gibraltar and 4 times Olympian, Ashok Kumar carrying on his father's legacy,
Harcharan Singh on the left wing.. the list could go on endlessly. Why,
India still holds the record for the highest score in International Hockey,
24-1 against USA. Unfortunately all that was in the distant past.
Entire blog at:
http://edwinfernandes.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/07/hollerin-for-hockey.htm
Edwin Fernandes
Santa Cruz
Juhu, Mumbai
