Hockey is our national game. Gradually it is losing the status it once enjoyed. Write an article in 100-150 words highlighting the causes of the decline of this game and also suggest measures to improve its status. You are Anupam/Anupama.
Hockey – Our National Game
By: Anupama
Hockey is the National game of India. Our team is one of the strongest teams in the world. It was the first nonEuropean to be a part of the International Hockey Federation. In 1928, the team won its first Olympic gold medal. The country has so far won eight Olympic gold medals in the field of hockey. Sadly, the sport which is our national treasure has lost its charm and shine over the years. The reason is just not the fall in the standards but conversion of hockey into the power game by the Europeans. The non-availability of astro turfs, minimal coverage of hockey by the media, weak infrastructure and a lack of commitment are the major causes for the pathetic situation of Indian Hockey. The coaches in the academics seem to still adopt non-modern methods of training which affects player’s game. Nothing concrete has been done in the last few decades, as a result of which Indian Hockey has not achieved anything remarkable. The Ministry of Sports needs to intervene and work towards popularizing and raising the quality of equipment for the game.