09 March,2010 08:50 AM IST | | Waleed Hussain
As the Hockey World Cup reaches its knock-out stage, and realisation dawns that India has been knocked out well and truly even before that stage began, let's consider what we really missed out on.
Barely a few weeks before the World Cup was to commence, instead of practicing hard on the field, the Indian squad was busy fighting for hard cash. Instead of sweating it out on the field, the players were jotting down points on their list of demands.
The rest of the teams participating in the World Cup were busy strategising, planning, and practicing while our players were caught in the battle of earning their rightful wages. No money, no play said the players. We care a damn, said the association. The dirty linen was shamelessly washed in full public view, and the equally shameful statements that flew thick and fast gave our country super prime time entertainment.
We may have beaten Pak, but that's all we managed. Our performance against the other teams was patheticu00a0u00a0
When the players-association stand-off was worked out, TV ads promoting the game were splashed across the country. Virender Sehwag, Priyanka Chopra and the likes were pleading and promising to attend the matches and cheer for the team. No one turned up, as expected. Barring the one match that was bigger than the World Cup final itselfu00a0--The India-Pakistan league match.
The stadium was packed, the crowds were going crazy. This was after all the mother of all battles. The jingoism of a nation that hates its neighbour was evident. The players as well as the spectators were busy asking the whereabouts of the mother and sisters of their neighbours. Oye, teri!
All we wanted was to win this match, World Cup glory be damned. And that is exactly what happened. India beat Pakistan and for us that was more than enough. The old enemy must never get one up on us. It is, after all, a matter of national pride.
But in all of this jingoism and misplaced macho chest-thumping, we seemed to have failed to see the bigger picture. We may have beaten Pakistan, but that's all that we managed. Our performance against the other teams was pathetic, to say the least. Clueless at what hit them, our players ran around escorting the ball, while the European striker shot goal after goal, dragging and flicking our izzat out of the tournament.
But none of that matters to us, we beat Pakistan, and that's more than enough. Who cares for World Cup glory? Who cares that the last time we won a World Cup was in a different century. We beat the old foe, and that is all we need.
