Much ado about nothing

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A cartoon depicting the resurgence of hockey in India in the light of the national side’s Olympic qualification has become a huge hit in Facebook.

The sketch split in four frames, describes a peevish child, visibly angered by the cricket team’s acrimonious tour of Australia, carving out a hockey stick off his cricket bat and then boisterously whistling away.

The image simply says ‘Phir dil do hockey ko’, the tagline marketed by a motorcycle brand. But this feel-good focus shift has to be marketed properly if the national game is to prosper in Kerala.
As the time is apt for stepping on the gas, is Kerala actually ready for hatching a game plan suited for the development of Hockey in the state, or will it simply let his moment go away?

“Yes, it is a great time and we would love to do many things,” says Ramesh Kolappa, secretary of Hockey Kerala. “But, there are many problems,” he said.

“We are told that the ongoing rift between Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation will be resolved soon. We hope after that whoever reaches the helm will give adequate consideration for the State,” he said. From his explanation, it is clear that those at the helm haven’t thought much about it but waiting for aid from the central body.

Recently, the state sports council gave affiliation to Hockey Kerala and the other association is angered by this move.

They had approached the court and stayed the state championship held in Kochi, which was later resumed after being named as a Hockey Kerala tournament rather than the state championship.

“That is the problem. The rift between the two associations is not helping the situation and though the time is ripe, the question is, who will shed their ego and come forward for taking the game ahead?” asked former state player Sunil D. Emmatty. Does it mean all this adrenalin boost with the Olympic qualification is much ado nothing? Sadly, it seems so.

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