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EXHORTING the corporates to come out in support for the national game and other sports apart from cricket, former Indian hockey captain Padmashri Dilip Tirkey has said that like cricket, hockey too needs to be glamourised.
Speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ organised by Sports Journalists Association of Nagpur (SJAN), the star defender said that the national game too deserves better support from the corporates.
"I would not say that all the attention is given only to cricket but I feel that corporates should come forward and promote our national game too," Tirkey said when asked about the crores put in by corporates and filmstars in the Indian Premier League cricket.
Being the first hockey player in the world to appear in more than 400 international games, Tirkey said he had never thought of reaching this far.
"As a young player I only wanted to play for India. It was only when hockey statistician B G Joshi told me that I had played 360 international matches that I came to know I was second in the world," recollected Tirkey.
"Today I have played 412 international matches and it feels great to be on top of the world," he said.
Eventhough Indian hockey team is languishing at the 12th spot in the world rankings and European teams dominating the top half of the chart, Tirkey believes there was no favourite to win next year’s Commonwealth Games and World Cup, scheduled to be held in India.
"The game has changed a lot. The team that won the last World Cup failed in the Champions Trophy. So there are no clear favourites," Tirkey said.
Like cricket, Tirkey feels it’s time hockey too is glamourised. "Tournaments like Premier Hockey League (PHL) should be restarted. Our hockey organisers, though doing well, should search new and innovative methods to bring more glamour to the game. PHL tournaments were a great success. We should start such tournaments to bring in crowd," said Tirkey who led Orissa Steelers to the podium in the inaugural edition of PHL.
The Arjuna Awardee is of the view that six-a-side hockey should be introduced to make hockey more fast and interesting.
"Without disturbing the 70-minute game, I feel six-a-side hockey tournaments should be started. It will be very fast and of short duration," he opined.
Tirkey said India were unfortunate that whenever the team started doing well something untoward happened. "In 2003 we were doing well but defender Jugraj Singh got injured. Similarly, in the recent past the team got a setback when ace dragflicker Sandeep Singh got injured in a freak accident."
The defender is also worried over goal-keeper Baljit Singh’s injury. "He (Baljit) is our main goal-keeper. With him our team had started doing well. He was exceptional under the bar. His injury is a big blow to the Indian team. We hope Baljit recovers fast," Tirkey said.
The 31-year-old Tirkey, who won Arjuna Award in 2002, expressed concern over lack of infrastructure in popularising the game.
"There is a need to create conducive atmosphere for hockey by organising various tournaments at club and district levels," he said.
India’s 1-1 draw against Poland in the 2000 Sydney Olympics still rankles Tirkey, who has been rated as one of the most difficult defenders to get away with in the world.
"By playing a 1-1 draw against Poland, we lost an opportunity to play against Pakistan in the semi-final. That is one of the most regrettable moments in my life," he said.
The gold medal in Bangkok Asian Cup in 1998 is one of the happiest moments in life for the man from Sundergarh in Orissa, who made his international debut in 1995 against England.
Leading the Indian side for around a decade, Tirkey said he enjoyed his stint. "Pressure of leading Indian team was always there. In defeat it was the captain who had to face criticism. But I enjoyed captainship too because victory and defeat are part and parcel of the game," concluded Tirkey. (Report courtesy The Hitavada)
Vedashree Bondre
also has place in school nationals and junior nationals. She will be awarded Baidyanath Trophy and cash prize of Rs 3,000.Continuing its tradition of felicitating outstanding sportspesons of the city, Sports Journalists’ Association of Nagpur (SJAN) in association with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will hold its annual awards function on August 29, birth day of hockey legend Major Dhyanchand, at Tilak Patrakar Bhavan auditorium, Panchsheel square, at 10 am.
Dilip Tirkey, Olympian and the first hockey player in the world to play over 400 matches, will be the chief guest of the function, informs a press release issued by Rahul Dixit, Secretary, SJAN.
Baidyanath and Western Coalfields Limited are the co-sponsors of the event.
Total seven awards including senior and junior sportspersons in men’s and women’s categories, sports organiser, best school and college will be presented on the occasion.
Names of the awardees will be announced soon.
In the past SJAN’s annual awards functions have been graced as chief guest by eminent people including ex-Test stars Dilip Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, shooter Anjali Bhagwat, Olympian Mukesh Kumar, former India stumper Kiran More, Indian Cricket Board chief Adv Shashank Manohar and other sports personalities.