Recently we had a Group discussion on this topic. Everybody in there was supporting the point that cricket should replace Hockey as the national game of India. Somehow I wasn't comfortable with that. Maybe it was the Indian within me which supported hockey, I can't say about that. But what hurt me the most was that the one or the two supporting Hockey weren't able to defend their points. We needed a saviour for for hockey at the GD..but none was good enough to be the "ONE".
There were some good points supporting cricket. Its no more a game in India. Its become a religion. It is "D" only game which integrates the whole nation at one stand which is the most difficult task to do in todays world. In a country where the bloody politicians are busy widening the rifts between the people to fill their vote banks; where terrorists are targetting a paticular religion and the blame for such incidents are forced on other the part of other religions; where differences are created in the name of region and language; where the surrounding countries always threaten to tresspass the borders and step in our country to make things worse, CRICKET is the only medium to get this nation going. Do you remember the celebrations after we won the T-20 world cup? It is unforgetable.
But there is a loop in the above mentioned positives. Cricket has always been kept away from major politics. The BCCI has always supported and advertised cricket. This has reched a place where it can not be pulled down so easily. It has been welcomed by all. But all these acheivements in the game of cricket are coming only when it has reached the peak of its popularity. Hockey has been F****ed up by the bloody politics. It is getting no sponsorships. When our hockey team wins a cup, our hockey players get Rs. 500 per head from the governments whereas the cricketers turn millionaires within one night. Is it a fair call? We recognize the cricketers in the crowd but we don't recognize the hockey players even in silent streets. Why are we witnessing such a day?
Cricket is played by a handful nations in the world. The only games in this world today are Soccer and Hockey. Its perfectly allright that Cricket is bringing laurels to this nation, but when?? Its today. Still the Indian cricket team is searching for its second world cup in the one day format. Whereas, Hockey team has 8 Olympic golds to its name in the past which includes the biggest winning margin of 38-2 in the Olympics. Its because of Indian hockey that Elizabeth didn't allow the British to play Hockey to lose to such a nation which was held captive by them.
Indian Hockey has seen players like Major Dhyan Chand, who was forced to change his hockey sticks during a match several times as they thought there might be a Magnet attached to it!!!!!!
This was Hockey and its glorious history my friends, and they think of replacing it with Cricket as our national game? What if tomorrow cricket loses its charm and we think replacing the national game again? If the Indian Tiger is on the verge of extinction today, so instead of helping it, we change our national animal??
Hockey was born in India. Have some respect to it fellowmen!! We don't stop to love our mother if she becomes ugly with age. Cricket was brought to India by the British. We give so much respect to a guest who has become a permanent member of our family and we ridicule our own who need help? Don't forget that Hockey brought laurrels to the nation when India was struggling for almost everything. It was the one which brought the nation together in the form of the only entertainment we had then!! It was a game which united us to fight for our independence!!
The winning of the Olympic Gold was the Cry of a Nation which was struggling to get its feet on the grounds. Ask yourself, can we Change our Identity for the sake of popularity?
