HOCKEY IS OUR NATIONAL SH(G)AME!

It was always a known fact that hockey was the foster child of our cricket loving nation. The players not being paid and training under not the best facilities is nothing new hence in a way I’m glad that the present furore by the players has raised some dust over something that had started to become a way of life.
The pathetic nature of the Hockey administration is further exposed by the manner in which the ‘officials’ (Read: people with right political contacts) are handling the issue.
It’s a perfect scenario where one finds it difficult to figure out whether to cry at the misery of the situation or laugh at the buffoonery!!
For instance after having failed to provide any logical explanation for the awkward situation the board finds in where the national players are sitting out of practise two months before the world cup and the board claiming that it is poor and has no money and also cannot arrange for it, the players were asked by the Hockey India (HI) president- A K MATTOO- to choose between money and love for the nation!! Now how corny is that?
Should not Mr. Mattoo pay the best players their due if ‘he’ loves the country? Contrary to that he is threatening to field an entire new team in the WORLD CUP if the players don’t give up their demands and surrender meekly to the board!! So it would be fair to say that Mr. Mattoo loves his country so much that he does not mind the country loosing face in a tournament of world cup standards by fielding a second rung side!! And wait... we have yet not debated about the fact as to how is asking for rightful dues a mark of not loving one’s country??! Never mind.
Last night the President of the International Hockey Federation glared in the camera in a news talk show and ranted how the players will not get any sympathy from anybody in the international hockey playing community before he threw away the mike and walked off!! Ah! Now that’s going to make you look good Mr. ADMINISTRATOR? Shows how thoughtful you can be!
If I mention here, the other cases of disputable selection criteria and the condition of the training camps, I shall be only making you’ll read what you all already know... so let’s simply come to the moral of the story which in this case is- THE PLAYERS SHOULD BE PAID and please don’t bull shit by saying that you have no money!!!
And of course...the poor administrative skills and lazy attitude was always your hallmark now please don’t get corny by degrading ‘love for the nation’ feeling! Spare us please and pay them!