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A heartbroken hockey fraternity on Monday reacted in anger and demanded the ouster of Indian Hockey Federation President K P S Gill following the team's unprecedented failure to make the cut for the Beijing Olympics.
India created a dubious history as they lost to England 2-0 to miss the bus for the quadrennial games for the first time in 80 years.
A disturbed Dhanraj Pillay, who could not sleep in the night after witnessing the team slumping to ignominy, said it's high time the top brass of IHF was overhauled.
"How much you speak about it is not sufficient. We have created a bad piece of history. It's the worst day for Indian hockey. It's time to replace the top officials of the federation. IHF never tried to take the help of players like me who have played for the country so long," Pillay said.
The four-time Olympian, however, said people who matter should look forward instead of criticising the players.
An irked Asian Games gold medallist goal-keeper A B Subaiah said not only Gill but the whole set up has to go after the debacle.
"People who are asking for Gill's head should also realise that people like (IHF Secretary) K Jothikumaran and (Uttar Pradesh association official) J N Tyagi should also go.
"It's very sad and unfortunate that we could not qualify for the Olympics," he said.
Britain crushes India's Olympic dreams, Carvalho to quit
Indian hockey plunged to a new low after the men's team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time ever following their shocking 0-2 defeat against Britain in the qualifying tournament in Santiago.
India's Olympic dream came crashing as Barry Middleton (4th minute) and Richard Mantell (10th) scored for Britain in the nerve-wracking final of the qualifying tournament at the Prince of Wales Country Club.
Eight times gold medallist India thus failed to make it to the Olympics for the first time since their debut in 1928.
The setback prompted coach Joaquim Carvalho to step down along with his support staff.
While Britain celebrated to the accompaniment of the song "We are the Champions", the Indian players, heads bowed and shoulders slumped, could only watch the jubilant scenes of a team that played smarter, if not better, hockey in the late night match.
Britain showed a lot of steel in dealing with the massive pressure they were subjected to by the Indian forwards. The difference was that Britain, who had beaten India 3-2 in the league, capitalised on the two early chances that came their way, while the Indians did not.
India could never really settle down and the two yellow cards to their key players, midfielder Sardara Singh and forward Prabhjot Singh, filled their cup of woe.
India also blew five penalty corners with neither Ramachandra Raghunath, with his drag-flicks, nor Dilip Tirkey, with his direct hits, able to convert. In fact, their set-piece drill in the second-half was rather pathetic, as the ball was not even stopped cleanly.
Britain's first-half tactics were fairly obvious and that was to seize early initiative. Two goals within the first 10 minutes put them firmly in front while pushing India on the back foot.
While Britain's performance slick and sure, the Indians struggled to get going. The two teams were a study in contrast with Britain sticking to basics of close marking, quick release and positional play.
In contrast, India seemed to run out of ideas and there was predictability in their attacks with the long balls to the wings in much use.
Middleton scrambled the ball in from a Ashley Jackson pass with the Indian defence caught square in the very fourth minute and then Richard Mantell drag-flicked a 10th minute penalty corner to put Britain on top.
India did knit together a few moves, but at the finish it was the same old tale of wrong passes and at times, too much of individual play. With the time ticking by, India made desperate attempts force a penalty corner and finally succeeded in the 31st minute. But Raghunath failed to beat goal keeper Alistair McGregor.
A little earlier, Sardara was sent out with two green cards in the 26th minute and his absence meant another round of reshuffling that affected Indian team balance.
In between the Indian attacks, Britain squeezed a couple of more raids and nearly scored twice with Jackson and then Tindall shooting wide of target.
On resumption, the Indians attacked with some urgency but they suffered a setback when Prabhjot was sent out with a yellow card suspension for deliberate stick-check. Yet again, it limited India's options while leaving a huge hole in the frontline.
India's persistence fetched them their second penalty corner in the 47th minute, but goalkeeper McGregor easily blocked Dilip Tirkey's direct hit.
Seven minutes later, India forced three penalty corners in quick succession, but twice Ignace Tirkey and then Shivendra Singh failed to stop the ball. Worse still, Ignace limped off the field after being struck on the knee by the British charger.
At the other end, goalkeeper Baljit Singh kept India in the game with some good saves as Britain wasted three penalty corners.
Even as the Indians grew in desperation, Britain kept their composure to survive the vital final moments of a match that barely rose to expectations in terms of quality, though did not lack intensity and passion.
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RatingIt is very very sad and heart breaking for every Hockey fan that the team is not going to Olympics. I have a suggetion, support Pakistan team whole heartly as if you are supporting Indian team. Get attached to Pakistan team. Lets pray that Pakistan wins the gold in Beijing and prove to the world that no matter India's absence in Olympics the subcontinental artistry is still a treat to watch on the Hockey field. I know its not that easy but try it and help improve the already much improved Indo Pak relations. Hope I am not alone to think like this. Meanwhile there is something on KPS Gill. He is quite good in destroying. First he destroyed terrorism in Punjab and now he is trying and succeeding in destoying Hockey. Keep trying Mr Gill.
Why the players like Sandeep Singh, Gagan Aajit Singh, Deepak Thakur, Hamza, Len,Ayappa were dropped. Gill has no answer to that. He says they are not fit. Can anybody ask this near to completely blind man whether he is fit enough to hold the post he is capturing forcefully from last 10 years. In PHL Sandeep singh was the top scorer then why he was dropped. Gill has no answer becoz he can't see more than 5 meters. His eyes have stopped looking beyond 5 meters. He believes what Jothi says and some of his personal security staff makes him do. Most of the people know that Gill when DGP of punjab police he cleared the militancy, but infect he killed thousands of innocent people of punjab just to make his tenure as DGP to last more and to glorify his name. He killed lot of innocent farmers and showed them as militants. Same was done to hockey. He ignored and dropped the good players and best players who should have been in the team. And he took his team selected by jyothi and his personal staff. All selection is based on the relations and under table deals. Like Mr. Batra, ex-Vice president of IHF said yesterday in his TV interview. And the most shame full words came from Indian sports minister. He said ministry can’t do anything in the work of federation. So, that means the federation is above all. They can put the name and honor of the country on risk and can damage the pride and glory of our ancestors. If Gill has done some thing to the seats of the ministers they would have come with some or the other plan to cut his hand off. But it’s hockey that’s why no body is interested to look into. Shame to Mr. Iyer, Gill, Joythi kumar, Carwalho and all those there at IHF. All these need to be kicked out immediately and a new panel of ex players and coaches like Jagbir singh, Mohd. Shahid, Dhanraj Pillay, Zafer Iqbal, Kaushik, Ashsih Balal etc should be made to save hockey.
In the last 24 hours, I have read no of articles on the black day of Indian Hockey history from different quarters. Everybody blaming either IHF or the Coach or the Players for such poor debacle. But, I think instead of pitching mud here to there, a composite plan is required to be made and accordingly, the Indian Hockey is required to be brought out from such negligible place of world hockey. I am sure that India has the potential. The currently Asean champion, and also has a top ranking in Junior Hockey tournament in International level, we can achieve the highest place way back in near future, if the corrective actions/measures are taken by involving Ex-Hockey players, good Administrators, true followers and also from considerable support from Sports Ministry.
Arre Gill Gill hai yaar, uski Khaasiyat bhi yaad kar lena, ek muqadma Supreme Court tak ek lady ne fight kiya tha. Yeh koi Pervaiz Musharraf hai kya ki wardi utaaro ki chant sab karne lage. Thanks
Time has come for Mr Gill
Hockey players please forget hockey and become cricket players. Then you can be actioned off for a better price in the Cricket Market.
KPS GIL must be thrown out and bring Dhanraj Pillai.
If it is another country the whole Cabinet ministers will fall with this news. What a shame that our political sports executives care more about themselves than about India and the aspirations of its citizens. Not only KPS Gill but the entire Hockey federation official must resign in shame. They must accept responsibility for letting India down so badly. Hockey is Indian's national sport even before Cricket. We have made people despondant by letting our team down for so many years. There is no reason why India should fail this badly not even qualifying for the Olympics. It is time we have a management team headed by some one like Dhanraj Pillai to take over and overhaul the whole system from the roots up. We must train youngsters in India and start local and regional championships. We must have people running the Hockey Federation who care for the game and not people like Gill who are there to satisfy their ego and care nothing for the game. It is time we say enough is enough and let us reorganize the Federation.
It is better Mr. Gill u go by ur self otherwise u will be thrown out. It enough we have seen of u. U are good for nothing.We need people those can preform and give result and not pinchers.U have put country to second and ur self 1st. Better go go and go let some one do better job.In 80 years this is the first time we did not qualify but for u this is the last. we know we will do better with out u.Indian govt must pay the player somewhere par with cricketers if u want to bring galory back. Govt. should come forward and do something for Hockey.thanks
WHY SHAME ON K P S GILL,,,,,SHAME ON OUR HOCKEY PLAYERS THEY HAD NOT PLAYED WEL,PUTTING BLAME ON KPS GILL IS NOT JUSTIFY,HAD HE(KPS.GILL)PLAYED THERE,THE PERFORMENCE OF OUR HOCKEY IS LOW,,SO CHANGE THE PLAYERS AN GIVE CHANCE TO THE DESERVING PLAYERS.SO DONT POINT FINGURE ON HIM.
KPS GILL IS SHAMELESS. SACK HIMunder him indian hockey has gone from bad to worse
Kick that stupid supercop out of Hockey.He is spoiling our Hockey.KPS gill is making big money by killing our hockey as he did by killing our youth in Punjab.In punjab this butchure took money from real terrorists and allowed the to change their Identity and killed thousands of innocent Hindu and sikh youths branding them as those real millitants.Anti Hidnu and Sikh congress gave this butchure IHA presidentship as a reward
It is the public that must thake the ENTIRE blame. Not Mr. Gill or the Government. The Indians love Cricket and only cricket. Naturally they are doing fine there. They do not care for soccer, hockey or weight lifting etc. The why the public should blame when we do not do well in other games and sports. Be happy that we play cricket well, if that is ALL you want. If you want a good hockey team, start supporting the game as you do with cricket. Otherwise, it is better to keep our mouths shut. Please, No more crocodile tears or blame game from readers!
Why Sharad Pawar did not resign after the debacle of Indian Cricket team in WORLD CUP? Of course it is shameful that Indian Hockey team could not qualify for the Beijing Olympics but who is responsible for this other than Politician and Indian Sports authrities. Is football doing very well under PRDass Munshi? In fact Indian Football team's ranking has gone down to a level where one can't even guess.This debacle of hockey in the country is just the beginning and all other sports will meet the same fate> Why people should play any other sports while there is no future? The time is not far off when the parents will stop their kids from playing ANY OTHER GAME THAN CRICKET and even would like the kids to stop going to schools and instead go for Cricket. What the children will get after doing MBBS, MBAs' and Engineers, nothing while in cricket they will become Lakhpati if not Crorepati.What happened to hockey is not surprising and take it easy, switch over to cricket. After all hockey players were getting what? Yuvi hit 6 Sixes and he got 1 Crore, while he was hit 5 sixes, he did not lose a single penny, this is cricket, forget hockey!!!
India has been in the decline for the past over 30 years and this was just coming. It is surprising that Indians can be that stupid not to envisage this one coming after India NOT winning a Gold medal since 1964 (forget the 1980 Moscow, when only 6 weak teams participated). They never even won a Silver since 1964. Now we are up in arms! In the first two decades (I mean 20 years) we were blaming the use of Astro turf for our debacles taking NO steps to play on it in Inda citing lack of money. Today we boast of 3 richest people on earth being Indians, but still no Astro turf! India deserves to be where it is in Hockey! Stop blaming anything and everything and face reality! We are good in I.T. but nowhere in Sports!
India seriously need to work on field hockey recovery or change the national sport to some thing else. This is not end of the world, we can not stress about things that have been taken over by others. Afterall they were going to come in to play, and play better than us one day.(when we played, others did not know much about hockey) A serious consideration must be gievn to either revive hockey by all efforts and all means or field hockey be given a good farewell as a national sport. India must pick a national sport (stick to it ) and make sure all energy is spent to maintain Superiority in it. It is a matter of national pride, it is not just sport, there is much much attached to it. Just think about it.
No need to blame anyone but the sports ministry who puts more money into cricket than any sports all together. How do you think sportsmen will ever be created except cricketers. Is cricket a sports in Olympics?
Politics is in our blood at every level, in all departments, unless they desist for their interfearanace, these results are not surprised, which is very very difficult to avoid. only God can help. Time is the greatest healer, people will forget, at least our country can watch on TV how others play hockey for their nations.
Sports authority or hockey federation should encourage hockey in the country,pay rewards to the player.Dont treat them as outcast as compare to cricket.We have talent ,we have coaches but no encouragement in terms of money is awarded.Game is a game,some won some lost.Its not the end of the world.Lets give another go next time.Change of old guard at the top is must,Only sportsmen should be made board memebers and selectore.Politicians and Gamblors like Sharad Pawar must stay out of the sports.Look they are killing cricket in the country by commercializing and hirring foreign players like Andrew symonds ,Ponting and Akhtars.What are we upto,where are we heading?
The media is responsible for this debacle. Now that India has not qualified for the world cup the whole media is up in arms and asking for the heads of all the people related to the sport in one way or the other. But has the media ever given a pat on the shoulder for the work done by the very same members of the fraternity of they manage with the meagre funds alloted for the very game India invented. Moreover how many stadiums are there where the players can play hockey in the country. Has the media ever raised objection as to why should there be a need for astro turf where we Indians are not used to playing. The list can go on forever but it is time for the media to take the game forward for there is always a silver lining at the horizon.
Why does not SRK Buy U indian hockey team in chak de style
I really thing it is hightime that sports authorities sit and discuss in chaning the entire set up of hockey admn or else we can put a wreath on hockey bats
Cricket being full of jingoism and overrated fervor and passion is only part of the problem. Hockey is also as bureaucratic in management.
We Lost and did not qualifyfy. Ok ! This is not the end of world. Lets regroup from here. Analyse the failures and Bounce back guys...
how much hockey players get. Not even 2% of cricketers.do not expect anything,Why should our young boys play with heart,when pockets empty.
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