I do agree with Indian Hockey team. Its shameful that we don't give the same tyreatment to our national game. Whether its cricket or hockey or football, every player is suppose to show their team spirit, smae effort. It doesn't mean that we underestimate one game over another. Hockey team needs the same welcome. Its a shame to all indians more than politicians coz we pay more attention to cricket rather than hockey. Cheer up team, we r with u. go ahead, let the government realise what u r. their biasness shows only a low mentality and knowledge towards hockey and other sports. U'll definately get ur due recognition. Just fight for it, and grab it. thats what world is all about. agar kuch na miley to chin lo.
Actually, I think cricket players are professional,they deserves anything from BCCI after their recent success, but our govt. whether central or state shouldn't be biased towards any sport. They should reward players for their success irrespective of their sporting field. The BCCI can't be blamed for anything since they are among one of the richest board in cricket.But our govts. shouldn't play spoilsport by being partial. Otherwise not only hockey other games will go in dark.
If the government of India is giving the cricketers so much of money since it won against Pakistan then its very sad. We should consider a win as a win and let me remind to them that the Hockey team could not face Pakistan team in the Final since Pakistan could not make it into the final, i think the same is with football. In Football we defeated countries who are very stronger and having more ranking then India. In Volleyball we had a series with Pak, and we won it comfortably but where is the remuneration to the sportpersons?
It is not just in India. It is everywhere around the world. Does an athelete in Olympics winning a gold medal for US get the same prize money as Tiger Woods or the winner of the US open Tennis championships? No. There is a huge disparity there as well. Disparity is there not just in sports but even in life. A daily labourer who works hard earns less than a software engineer - rather hundred times lesser - is it not disparity !!!
Now, these are typically situations guided by the markets - A software engineer caters to a market that pays big money.
Golf and Tennis sell in US. Cricket has succeeded to strike a chord in India and in a big way. Would a billion hearts miss a beat the way they did in the Indo-Pak cricket final if the sport was hockey - plain 'No'. Agreed that it is our national game, but the game was never marketed properly - never taken to public the way it should have been and it lost its shine and sheen !! Gone are the days when people use to follow hockey the way cricket is being followed now - It has completely lost it's shine !!
Cricket has been such a big success in the Indian Market that 90% of the money in the game comes from India. There are exclusive TV channels dedicated to the sport !!
First let the game of Hockey pull some crowds back to the game by succeding in more tournaments. Attention will follow, sponsorships and money will not be far off. One Asia Cup after ages and you have started off cribbing - I ask, is this justified ??
RE:Disparity is a way of life and one has to live with it.
by sanjeev saini on Sep 27, 2007 12:13 PM
Mr kvsk prasad its not the tournament money we are talking about. We are talking about the money given by government. In Golf and Tennis the tournament money is high and the same was in the case of cricket too. But we are talking about he money and facilities given by the government to its sportsperson.
RE:Disparity is a way of life and one has to live with it.
by KVSK Prasad on Sep 28, 2007 07:10 AM
My dear Friend, Has any Government in the past provided any kind of cash incentives to the Cricket team for winning an Asia Cup - Plain No. Let the Hockey team win us a World Cup first. Yes we did win some in the past - but those were the days when we were left very poor after being ravaged by the Britishers. Cash Incentives was still a dream in those days. Not anymore. So, let the hockey team win a world cup and then we will see. Comming back to the facilities, they are managed by the sport authorities - BCCI, IHF etc. So, if the hockey facilities are delapidated, the blame must go to IHF for not doing its part. P.T Usha, Sania Mirza, Geet Sethi, Leander Paes, Viswanathan Anand - these players received a lot of praise, appreciation, recognition and cash rewards from governments in past and all these people for sure are not cricketers. I can generate a big list here. So, let Hockey team win something substantial and then I am sure they will get their due. Even the Cricket team didn't get anything from a government for winning the Asia Cup. I am sure sponsors will be running after them if they win a World Cup. Deliver and then demand.
Nonsense , in india every sport is not recogonised as cricket and those players are fools and untouchables? Sport is Sport give equal importance to all. All are atheletes and bring good name to nation. TREAT THEM EQUALLY.
RE:I AGREE AND SUPPORT HUNGER - TREAT EQUALLY
by KVSK Prasad on Sep 28, 2007 09:50 AM
Fine, we will treat them equally. Till date, we have only burnt the effigies and stoned at the houses of our cricketers when ever they have performed poorly - from now on we will do so for our hockey players also. that is as you said it - "TREAT THEM EQUALLY"
RE:I AGREE AND SUPPORT HUNGER - TREAT EQUALLY
by Ramanjaneya K on Sep 27, 2007 01:17 PM
Let hockey players win the world cup n then we can treat equally. We cant equate Asia Cup in hockey to World cup in cricket. Anywhere any sport, World cup=World cup..
PEOPLE IN INDIA HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED GOOD SPORTS. THEY THINK BY HEART AND NOT BY MIND AND ITS OBVIOUS BY THE REACTIONS WE SEE THEM AFTER THE DEFEAT OR WIN. HOCKEY WAS AT ITS GREAT HIGHTS FEW DECADES AGO AND DUE TO BAD MANAGEMENT IT HIT ROCK BOTTOM AND PEOPLE WHO ONCE SUPPORTED HOCKEY CHANGED THEIR INTEREST TO CRICKET AFTER THE 1983 TRIUMPH. AND CRICKET HAS BECOME A PART OF LIFE SINCE THEN AND CRICKET HAS PERFORMED CONSISTENTLY AND THE CREDIT SHOULD GO TO THE MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATES. REGARDING OTHER SPORTS IT IS SUFFERED COZ OF LOT OF BAD MANAGEMENT. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TELL ONE THING BLAME IT ON BAD MANAGEMENT FOR OTHER SPORTS. HOCKEY SHOULD BE SUPPORTED AND WE SHOULD GIVE THEM MORE SUPPORT. I JUST WANT TO TELL OTHER SPORTS PEOPLE "WIN OR PERFORM AT WORLD LEVEL AND U SEE THE DIFFERENCE. AND REGARDING VISHWANATHAN ANAND HE IS THE BEST. SO GET UP AND GIVE IMPORTANCE TO EVERY PLAYER IN THE WORLD.
ALL THE STATE GOVTS OR BOARDS WHICH HAVE DECLARED THE MONEY REWARDS IS PUBLIC MONEY. HOW CAN THESE PEOPLE BE BIAS ON THOSE LINES. 20 20 CUP WIN IS NOT A WORLD CUP. IT IS A TEST CUP BY ICC WHERE NO ONE TOOK IT SERIOUS HENCE INDIA WON IT. AUSTRALIA JUMPED INTO IT WITH THE SAME FEELING ONLY. THEY NEVER TOOK IT SERIOUS UNTIL SEMIFINALS. ONLY IT GOT MORE FERVOUR COZ INDIA PAK FINAL. OTHERWISE WHAT IS THE FUN IN 20 20. NOTHING. NO TECHNIQUE, NOTHING, JUST BATSMAN THROUGHING BAT BLINDLY AND BOWLER DEPENDING ON HIS LUCK PURELY. REALLY I DONT LIKE 20 20 FORMAT. MY FIRST RATING IS TEST WHERE A PLAYER HAS TO PROVE HIMSELF. THEN 50 OVER ODI IS A GREAT CHALLENGE WHICH NEEDS EXCELLENT PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF IT. SIMPLY BLASTING THIS IS NOT CRICKET AT ALL. 20 20 TO ME LOOK LIKE BASEBALL. WASTE OF TALENT. THE TEAM WHICH ONE IS THE TEAM FIT FOR THIS FORMAT AS THEY WERE NEITHTER TALLENTED TO PLAY AT TEST OR ONE DAY LEVEL BARRING 6 PLAYERS FROM THEM. FOR ROHITH SHARMA IS A GENUINE PLAYER TO PLAY AT TEST AND ODI LEVEL APART FROM DHONI, KARTHIK, PIYUSH CHAWLA, HARBAJAN SINGH. STILL TOME YUVRAJ IS A ONE DAY PLAYER ONLY.
what an irony that our national game is treated in such a manner. I agree cricket is more popular, but we should not be inclined only to cricket. we should encourage other games also.
