For the first time in eighty years there will be a scene when the eight-time gold medalist will not be in Olympics. India has lost its way to Beijing by failing in the final of the qualifiers at Santiago by Britain by 2-0.
Sources say Ashok Kumar says, a former captain and member of the 1975 World Cup-winning squad, called the failure to qualify a “huge national disaster.”
“This decline did not happen in one day,” Kumar said. “The hockey federation just did not seem interested in noticing and arresting the decline.” Now as the blame game is on its way, The Indian Express says that three of the five selectors say “we had no role, we didn’t pick this team” that was picked for the qualifiers in Santiago. Then finally the blame is going on to the coach Joaquim Carvalho, as all the responsibilities were transferred to him and IHF.”It’s a sad day for Indian hockey, but people should have seen it coming,” Pargat Singh, who captained India at two Olympics, told The Associated Press. “The Indian Hockey Federation, the national Olympic association and the sports ministry are all responsible for the state of affairs.”
If we see through everything, we will find that it is easy to criticize two or more people but that will not lead to success in any way that is not the solution. One has to look at the loop holes. The system as a whole needs to be rectified.