Not much gain for Indian Women in World Hockey rankings

A preliminary calculations, before the qualification matches start suggests the following:

13th ranked India may remain at 13th if they lose to South Africa for the 9-10th position match. If they beat SA, they climb only to the 12th spot. 12th ranked South Africa, however, doesn't get affected by this and are sure to become 11th ranked after this WC.
Currently 10th ranked USA, the only team amongst top 12 who didn't reach the WC, are sure to go down to 12th or 13th positions depending on India's performance.

8th ranked Spain and 9th ranked Japan, after their dismal performance in this WC will contest for 11-12 rank matches. If Spain wins this match, it will become 9th ranked otherwise it will be 10th ranked. For Japan, a win is a must to retain their 9th ranking or else they become 10th.

11th ranked Korea are all set to attain the 8th ranking irrespective of the result of their 5-6 ranked match against Australia. Similarly, 7th New Zealand will retain their 7th World ranking irrespective of the result of 7-8 position match against China.

5th ranked Aussies, are sure to slide to 6th position, courtsey 6th ranked England who will surely make to the 5th position. Depending on their performance, they can reach the 3rd position.

3rd ranked China, a big dissappointment in the WC, will slide to 4th or 5th position depending on England's final ranking in the WC.

1st ranked Netherlands can't go down below 2 in World Rankings. Similarly, 2nd ranked Argentina can't go below 3.
4th ranked Germany can hope to be anywhere between 2-4.
That essentially means, Netherlands or Argentina are the only teams that may emerge to be World ranked 1, after the Women's Hockey World Cup, Rosario, Argentina.

P.S.: Personally, I am a big fan of World rankings of FIH. The results of any tournaments are never drastically different from the then rankings of the participating nations.

Indian Hockey online petition

For all Hockey Lovers, here's an online petition for Indian Hockey:
Please help us in reaching out to Indian Hockey lovers and request their support on online petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/sept2010/petition.html

Women's Hockey World Cup: India take on Netherlands today

The Women's Hockey World Cup 2010 has commenced in Rosario, Argentina.

India is placed in Pool A, alongside Netherlands(1st), Germany(4th), Australia(5th), NewZealand(7th),Japan(9th).

Indian women's team will take on 6 times World Champions, 2006 Madrid WC winners, Beijing Olympics Gold Medalist, Netherlands today.

Netherlands ranks 1st and India ranks 13th in FIH ratings.

India happens to be the lowest ranked team in their pool and also the World Cup, 2010.

In other Pool A matches today, Germany take on New Zealand and Australia take on Japan.

Pool B consists of Argentina(2nd), China(3rd), England(6th), Spain(8th), Korea(11th), and South Africa(12th).
In the opening day's matches, Argentina beat South Africa 5-2, England beat Spain 3-2 and Korea surprised China 2-1.

Final Result: 1st Women's Asian Champions Trophy Busan Korea

In the final, today, South Korea beat Japan 2-1 (HT: 1-0).

For the classification match for the 3rd-4th place, India beat China 2-1 (HT: 1-1). This was India's first victory in the 1st Women's Asian Champions Trophy from 27-31 July 2010 held in Busan, South Korea.

Final Rankings are as follows:

1) South Korea
2) Japan
3) India
4) China.


Last Updated: 1354 IST, 31st July, 2010.

1st Women's Asian Champions Trophy Busan South Korea

1st Asian Women's Champions Trophy is going on in Busan, South Korea from 27-31st July 2010.

China, Japan, India and Korea are the participating teams. Indian Women's Hockey team hasn't done very well in this tournament though.

Here are the results till now:
Day 1:
Japan beat India 3-2. (Saba Anjum and Surinder Kaur)
Korea beat China 1-0

Day 2:
China beat India 6-1 (Deepika Thakur)
Korea drew with Japan 2-2.

Day 3 (today):
Japan drew with China 2-2
Korea beat India 5-3 (HT 2-1). ( Saba Anjum (24", PC), Rani Ramphal (55", FG) and Subadhra Pradhan ( 67", PC) )

India stands last (4th) in the pool with China 3rd, Japan 2nd and Korea 1st.

Tomorrow, 31st July, 2010, the finals will be between Korea and Japan.
Most likely, there is a classifaction match between India and China for the 3rd-4th place, although I am not sure about this.


Last updated: 30th July, 2010, 1441 IST

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'.

Indian Women's Hockey sex scandal - comedy

Disclaimer: This blog of mine, is more about irony of our society and circumstances. It doesn't wish to take a call on whether or not M K Kaushik is guilty or not.

Allegations and counter allegations gallore.

1) Few days back, Hockey India received photographs of Indian Women's Hockey team videographer in compromising position with some unknown ladies during China Japan tour. (back in Mar-Apr '10)

2) Current national level player Ranjita Devi claims that she has been sexually harrassed by the Women's team coach M K Kaushik.

I am not concerned about point no.1. It is surely nothing more than gossip matter. What one does in their rooms, on tour, should be dictacted by 'code of conduct' for players and officials. Whether Hockey has one or not, I am not sure.

Coming to 2nd point: First things first. Sexual harrassment charges are serious. Whether the person who makes those allegations, is genuine or not, whether they are a star player or not, whether they are capable enough to compete in current Hockey or not, inspite of all these questions, it is a serious allegation. One can't take it lightly. A independent probe is a must.

Although I am not a great fan of KPS Gill and his adminstration times, and if I ignore the past details of his own character, I agree to his point: What are the qualifications of the people who have been formed in the committee who will investigate these details?

I will say it's true. Do they know what law books says? How one should conduct a prosecution and defense case? There is a complete legal system in place for this.

In this context, Zafar Iqbal, a former Olympian, who is a part of this committee, says, "The player's allegations are weak."
Yeah, right!

The point is not whether M K Kaushik is involved in sexual harrassment or not. One may never find out that, if you honestly ask me. It will finally reside on what one individual prefers to believe. Grab these facts:

1) There is no official investigation going on by competent authorities. Hockey India (HI) will collate the version of both sides will be submitted to Sports Authority of India, who will decide what needs to be done, because they are the employers to Kaushik and the videographer.

2) 31 players who have signed the letter by Ranjita say, "We haven't faced it but we are supporting Ranjita."
Ranjita, in her letter, claims that she and many others were sexually harrassed.

3) I have heard and read 4 different points on 4 different channels from Helen Mary. One place she tells about how Kaushik was found sleeping on the same berth in a train. Another place she says he is a wonderful coach but a characterless guy. Third place she says she herself was sexually harrassed by Kaushik. Fourth place she says that she was removed from captaincy because Kaushik and some lady manager got to know that Mary has seen them together having fun. It also tells that senior players don't like Kaushik and they wanted to get rid of him. Fifth newspaper tells how the lady manager was perpeptually drunk and was with Kaushik all the time.
Believe me, her interview is in so many bits and pieces in various newspapers and if you read all of them, you wouldn't know what to gather from it finally. The more I read, the more I am confused.
4) Theories are around that the timing of the event is a surprise because of Hockey India elections days away.
5) Although, it is usually, 'innocent until proven guilty' by law but the general public tends to believe, 'guilty until proven innocent'.

With so much reporting, so much conflicting opinions, allegations and no concrete investigation in the offing, a common fan like me can never figure out what to conclude from the whole event.

Now, Kaushik's contract with SAI to work for Indian Women's team was only till Nov. '10, i.e. till Guangzhou, China Asiads. He has resigned from the Indian Women's Hockey Coach position. It reminds me of a movie dialogue where the alleged guy tells his perpitrator, "You will not be able to prove anything." To which the perpetrator responds, "But you will suffer till the time this issue is alive and kicking."

So, he will be away for the time being and thereafter, any way, he will be out.

Whether you believe that there is no flame without fire, one thing is for sure: Kaushik's image is tarnished amongst common people.
Till 2 days back, not many (of the general public) knew, that Kaushik was the coach of Women's team since 1991 (barring a few breaks in between) and Indian Women's Hockey reached it's highs under his coaching. One 2 day coverage, and now almost everyone knows Kaushik.

I would say, it's a ticket to (de)fame for Kaushik.

All said and done, Hockey doesn't have many fans amongst general public; the ones who are, are mostly the only ones in their friend circles. I am one of those loners in my friend circle and I find it extremely embarrassing, when I am asked with a smiling face, 'yeh kya ho raha hai tumhaare Hockey mein?"

I just keep quiet, feeling low, humiliated..... and sad not for the event, but how it is handled by all of us...