Thursday, July 29, 2010

Indian Hockey - Finally, will it be Gill again?

There is a starking similarity between Indira Gandhi and KPS Gill.
1) Both were ruthless and shrewd administrators.
2) When kept out of power for a few years, they realized how unpopular they were; till then they believed they were the most popular leaders.
3) Both went out to apologize for their deeds; Gill is doing it in a very stylish manner, though. Indira Gandhi did it publicly for her acts.
4) Both, eventually, realized how they can't exist without the public support.
5) Last but not the least, this country never had any better option than them, in their respective fields and times.

So, here we are: KPS Gill says that he is keen to clean up the Governing Body mess. I wonder, if saying this will be a crime: No one in the recent past, has talked about cleaning up the adminstrative mess. So, if KPS Gill has talked about sorting out the matter by 'talks', no matter how many brownie points he gains, he certainly sounds much better compared to Stokes, Batra and Kalmadi.

Running Hockey administration like State Goverment's Police Department, Gill had lost his popularity soon after he assumed power in 1994. The sacking of 6 star playing and the coach from the Asiad 1998 Gold medal winning team made him a villian throughout the country.
Thereafter, the likes of K Jyothikumaran and their cronies, under continous patronage from Gill, compounded with complete mastery of the political system, they ruled Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and made it a corrupt, opportunistic and sad system; a system which never addressed the basic problems of Hockey and which finally gave up the idea of holding Nationals as well.

Although it came up with the brilliant idea of Premier Hockey League (PHL) but it gave a hard time to their partner, ESPN. How one can murder their own brainchild can be asked by IHF and how one can adapt other's idea and build a fortune around it, can be asked by BCCI.

Gill locked horns with FIH as well and gave a extremely tuft time to Brenda Els Vriesman too - That was where it finally signed on their death certificate. Vriesman went on to say publicly that Gill needs to do much more for the betterment of Hockey. FIH went on to appoint Ric Charlesworth for India's Hockey development. A sting operation exposing the corruption of IHF was only a reason for people like Kalmadi to wipe off Gill and company for the time being.

Already unpopular, Gill-headed-IHF was disbanded and was left in oblivion.

Thereafter, mockery times came in for Hockey adminstration. Although some immediate problems concerning the Indian team - more exposure tours, good coach, hosting World Cup - were addressed by adhoc adminstration (read it, Hockey India) but it ruled like a monarchy. Only to realize immediately, that monarchy was abolished in this country long time back.

Now that a few court orders have regarding IHF dissaffiliation as illegal and has given them the boost which IHF was looking for all these years, Gill and co. are thinking aloud.

Few days back, star Olympian and much respected Ashok Kumar had said: "Gill has changed."

A few days later, Gill said, he will not contest the elections.

That Gill is talking of reconciliation talk with Hockey India (HI) and wants to sort out the matter for the benefit of Hockey, along with court order favouring him, makes me wonder, with my usual apprehensions which a common man has about politicians, if Gill faction is all set to make a come back to the Hockey adminstration.

What stand FIH takes, is yet to be seen but as of now.

I feel Gill did win a point amongst Vidya Stokes, Narinder Batra and Suresh Kalmadi. However, not many will wonder that his age is too close to that of Ms. Stokes.

Gill surely ruled like Burmese Military junta and Kalmadi like monarchy. So, if this re-incarnated Gill sounds like a mellowed down Indira Gandhi of late 80's, who knows his group may just come back with a thumping majority as Indira Gandhi did in 1980 General Elections!

P.S.: I have not included Pargat Singh in my discussion because I am not aware of his support amongst the 'voters'.

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