For almost a week everyone’s been talking about the semi – finals between India and Pakistan and in all this , I was somewhere lost and least interested. Since childhood, I could never understand this craze for cricket among Indians, and why was there a need to worship it as the “god of all sports”. Well this was my ideology because I was never inclined towards sports. For long I was not even acquainted to most of the cricket terminologies and was almost an out caste from this “society of cricket worshippers”. The worst used to be when even after having two televisions at home, I had no option other then walking up and down the passage stamping my feet as both of them were occupied by my cricket loving family and their cricket loyal friends.
The most amazing thing happened when one fine day I realized that it was not cricket , but hockey which our national game. Well am sure, half of India doesn’t even know this, keeping in mind the hype cricket gets. The question that arises in the flip girl’s mind is why is there such a distinction? Why isn’t each sport treated equally in India?
With the cricket players playing in pools of money and giving a tough competition to “Uncle scrooge’s vault “ on one hand and the hockey players, who were left with no other option ,than going on a strike to demand for their rightful salaries, am sorry, I can’t figure out how’s it our national sport? We talk about the feelings of nationality , yet this is how we Indians treat our national game. But then, why am I even complaining, when our national bird and national animal could be endangered and almost at the verge of extinction, then why not our national game , which is already a low profile sport in our country.
My facebook account was flooded with status updates, cheering and rejoicing India’s semi final victory, but there wasn’t even 1% of the same hype during the Hockey world cup, nor there any disappointment when the Indian team was ousted. On the contrary, our cricket worshipping society would go into depression every time India would lose a match, however insignificant it might be.
When a movie like Chak De India came, it was considered an expensive experiment; a. it was a movie on hockey ; b. it was subjected to woman empowerment. But it did bring in a mini revolution, when we Indians were awakened. But then it was short lived, with the Introduction of IPL , one of the highest money minting and star studded ventures of the Cricket Board, our cricket worshippers were back in form , yet again neglecting the major issue pertaining to the significance of our national game.
Coming over to football, I was tired of jokes on the perspective Indian football team , that was circulated during the FIFA world cup. I was severely annoyed and disgusted by this approach. How can you make fun of your own country? We have immense talent; it’s just that we haven’t been able to discover it. And do you want to know the reason, well it is that our sports ministry has diverted most of its attention and funds to cricket and it hardly has time for other sports. There has to be a beginning somewhere. We cannot always stick to “East Bengal and Mohan Bagan”. It’s obvious, in the first go we might not be able to lift the CUP, but at least we will start somewhere.
India needs to evolve and break from the cliché world of cricket lovers. Our country has more to it than just the “men in blue” . I don’t say that they are not significant, yes they are, very much, I too have my personal favourites and not being a hypocrite, I might not be able to name any hockey player, but that is what something we need to change. It is the time for a “sport’s revolution “, it is the time to recognize new talents and discover new arenas of sports. I don’t criticize cricket nor the cricket lovers, I too am equally overjoyed to know that India won the semi finals, I too have my fingers crossed for the finals, all I humbly request is not to forget the other sports, especially our national sport. If you have the feeling of nationalism, loyalty towards the country , then have it for all the sports equally. I know the mindsets can’t change in one go, but at least give it a try. Let’s have more Sainas(badminton) , Abhinavs ( rifle shooting), Saurav Ghosals( squash) and Vijendras(wrestling), and if am not asking for more our own national football team. With that I take a leave.
GO INDIA, GO!!!
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