Olympics: 'Preparation lacks planning'

BANGALORE: Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh, played for India at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich where Indian picked up a bronze. He coached the gold-winning Indian team at the 1980 Olympic Games in M

BANGALORE: Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh, played for India at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich where Indian picked up a bronze. He coached the gold-winning Indian team at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. He captained the te­am that won silver in the 1973 World Cup in Amsterdam. Ex-Executive Director of the SAI South Centre, he feels that Indian hockey has lost an opportunity to prepare better for the ensuing London Olympics this year.

“We have qualified and that is good. But then for our hockey history and tradition, just qualifying is poor compensation. We were the sentimental favourites for the gold at every Olympics. Since the introduction of the synthetic turf for the game in 1976 at the Montreal  Olympics, we have decli­ned steadily,” said Ganesh.

“By not allowing players to play in the WSH, HI has denied them the chance to impr­o­ve and sharpen their game. There are many players in the WSH from nations who will play in the London Olympics. It would have given Indians an opportunity to test themselves,” said Ganesh. “With barely four months to go, we still have 48 players in the na­tional camp, which has been called only to prevent players from playing in the WSH. By now we should have identifi­ed the core players and started specialised training for those who might make it for the London Games.” Au­s­tra­l­ia, Germany, Netherlands are all doing it. Surely, our pl­an­ning has been poor after ha­ving qualified,” Ganesh op­ined.

“We announce big rewards of `2 crore, 1 crore and 50 la­kh for gold, silver and bron­ze. Let’s be realistic. You prevent players from earning money by threatening them with action if they play in the WSH. Then you say we will give you big money if you win. Let’s give them money for finishing fourth, fifth or sixth and then enhance it should they finish higher. I don’t kn­ow whom they are fooling by such populist announceme­nts,” Gan­esh wondered.

“Let us fight or argue and th­rash it out among ourselves. Let us not become a puppet in the hands of the FIH which wants India because of the TV and economic market for hockey. They are following the British policy of divide and rule. FIH is making IHF and HI fight and they are enjoying the benefits. It is time our administrators sh­owed maturity and put national interest above all else and worked for the betterme­nt of the game,” said Ganesh.