After the high of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October – where the men won gold to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024, and the women a bronze – there is negativity in the air. The reason is easily apparent – Bholanath Singh, Hockey India Secretary, has too much power and is misusing it. Cdr RK Srivastava, Hockey India Executive Director, is said to be Bholanath’s ally.
First things first – full credit to Craig Fulton, the men’s coach, for turning the team into a winning unit within four months, in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai and then in Hangzhou. Sadly, fear and apprehension are a part of the daily lives of the women’s team and Janneke Schopman, their coach, now. A hostile atmosphere has been created for the women, staying away from home and in camps.
If Bholanath had his way, Schopman would have been sacked by now. Perhaps things have not reached that stage yet as Dilip Tirkey, Hockey India president, put his foot down. In the past, there was an allegation that Hockey India would arbitrarily hire and fire coaches when they did not deliver expected results. Not winning Asian Games gold is not a major reverse for the Indian women’s team.
When the women wrestlers, led by Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, flagged governance issues against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, then federation president, in January 2023, and their protests hit the streets, it was a sad moment. It required the intervention of Anurag Singh Thakur, the Sports Minister, for a semblance of normalcy to be restored. The Brij Bhushan case is being heard in a court in New Delhi and elections, which were scheduled, have been stalled due to intervention from another court.
For its part, the ad hoc body running wrestling has come out with fresh Olympic qualification guidelines for the Paris Olympics. That is a good move, as Bajrang Punia was unfit and completed in Hangzhou while not being in the best shape. To say that performances in wrestling have slumped would be stating the obvious.
As for hockey, no officials flexing muscles should be allowed to ruin the game. It was shocking to read the Telangana Hockey allegation that Bholanath Singh wanted Rs. 25 lakh before allowing the conduct of elections to the state body. Bholanath has denied that he asked for money, but it was wrong to have installed an ad hoc body to run the sport in Telangana when it was ready to follow the democratic process. Elections have been due since April 2023.
The more contentious and dangerous issue is the manner in which Bholanath has dealt with the women’s coach. Schopman is an established coach, and has not been allowed to work in a fair and relaxed way. Such pressure needs to be condemned. Why the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) have kept quiet is baffling.
It is well known that Hockey India’s previous body underwent a massive audit by a third party, and its findings have been presented in a New Delhi court. When that is the case, the recent misdeeds of Hockey India’s officer-bearers – claiming daily allowances for overseas trips – must be probed. The amounts withdrawn in foreign exchange and other details must be made public.
Tirkey must not remain a spectator. He has power and needs to exercise it. After all, he had great credentials as a player. His election as president of Hockey India was seen as being good for the sport. However, he must not be silent when the image of the sport takes a battering.
How can Tirkey and all other members of the executive board of Hockey India keep quiet? The dirt has hit the ceiling. If a national sports federation goes rogue, the Sports Ministry and SAI must step in. The lessons from wrestling must be learnt to save hockey.
Also Read: Dilip Tirkey Must be Empowered to Fix Hockey India Mess