LIFE IN THE FAST GAME

UNLESS you are a really dispassionate Indian or an ignoramus when it comes to all matters sporting (or what could be far, far worse – both), you probably have been sneaking a peek at the Hockey World Cup being staged in New Delhi. You know, the tournament that started with what looked like a final (from the atmosphere and the hype) where India beat Pakistan 4-1. And assuming you don’t get to see a lot of hockey, surely what has floored you is the sheer pace at which the game is played. Furious, virtually non stop and always action packed – field hockey is by far the fastest team game I have ever seen. The phrase ‘end to end’ action gets a whole new meaning when the ball is traveling across the 100 yards of the pitch in a flash. Apparently, T20 is popular as a cricket format because it is fast. If you ask me, it has nothing on hockey when it comes to speed and the action.

I was watching the India vs. Spain game on Thursday night (alas India lost 2-5) and there was a period of play at the start of the second half where we saw 4 goals in 4 minutes (the score went from 2-0 for Spain to 4-2). Try to match that, soccer! Try to generate that much excitement in 4 minutes, Mr. Modi and all the cheerleaders money can buy! And F1? Sorry, you can only squeeze in a couple of laps there! The modern field hockey game is a non stop spectacle of great action and I’m surprised that in India it has so few takers. I’ve always loved watching hockey for its fluid and attacking flow and since they did away with the offside rule in 1998, it has become a thrill a minute roller coaster. Till the final hooter goes, a goal can be conjured up in less than 5 seconds. No other sport I know can offer that thrill. The rolling substitutions and two minute suspensions only add to the frantic adjustments required on the fly. When a penalty corner is taken, the defending team has a second to second and a half to make decisions (from the goalie’s position to who should cover the net). Last time I checked, that kind of a small decision making window was only available to fighter jet pilots.

I think I realize why India has been lagging at the game while teams like England, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia have powered ahead. It is all in the pace. India and Pakistan rely on building up attacks and/or trying to send in a hard cross into the ‘D’; the Europeans are happy to muscle their way through, fast. Watching hockey, with hardly any stop in play and a lot happening at once can be a real test for a spectator but it is really worth it. Razor sharp reflexes, dazzling skills, edge of the seat excitement – what’s hockey not got! Remember? Poor Amol Palekar gets in trouble in "Gol Maal" because he bunks work to watch a hockey ‘test’. Yes, folks! Those were the days! You have to be extremely attentive and cerebral to fully understand the tactical battle going on. Perhaps the smarts is what is missing, from our team as well as the spectators.

For a generation that has been told that ‘instant gratification’ isn’t a dirty word, we have ignored the delights a game like hockey can offer. It demands only about half the time of a T20 encounter and thrice the attention in return. Not a bad trade off, eh? I am not kidding, but watching hockey may actually sharpen your intellect a bit! India needs a glamorous hockey league, one that can catapult the national game back into the hearts of the masses. But most critically, us fans and the players need to get used to life in the fast game!