Incursions and violations of Pak ~ why allow Pak players in Hockey India League ??

This is more of what occurred and nothing on the National game or how it needs to be conducted vis a vis the money showered on Cricket.  Heard of  Ranchi Rhinos  ~ RR [Rajasthan Royals in IPL !] – no cricket this…. This is a hockey team based out of Ranchi playing Hockey India League.  Owned by Patel-Uniexcel Group, coached by . South African Gregg Clark, its captain is German player - Moritz Fürste.

It is Hockey’s answer to Cricket’s  Indian Premier League; Hockey India League  a professional league for field hockey competition, organised by Hockey India. Though intended to be 6, it has only 5 teams consisting of skilled Indian and International players. The first season of HIL  is being played from 14 January to 10 February.  To dwell a bit deep, Sahara India Pariwar bought the first franchise of the proposed Hockey India League (HIL) based in Lucknow. Jaypee Group picked up the Punjab based franchise; Ranchi became the third franchise for this league owned by Patel-Uniexcel Group; Business house Wave Group bought Delhi franchise and Burman family, the promoters of Dabur bought Mumbai franchisee; the last one Bangalore remained unsold.  The teams are : Uttarpradesh Warriors;  Punjab Warriors; Delhi Wave riders; Ranchi Rhinos; and Mumbai Magicians. 

When artillery guns are booming across the Line of Control, it’s hard to hear what is said sotto voce in far-off Delhi. But with anguish one has to read what is stated in Firstpost quoting Army chief Gen Bikram Singh at his press conference on Monday that the beheading of Lance Naik Hemraj Singh by elements in the Pakistani Army, which has ratcheted up the tension rather more than the firing across the Line of Control, wasn’t the first such incident in recent years. There had, he conceded, been at least two similar incidents in recent years.  Both those episodes were deliberately played down, even by the Army brass, evidently under political pressure from the Manmohan Singh government, which was working overtime to restore bilateral relations with Pakistan – and didn’t want the sordid story of Indian soldiers’ martyrdom to disturb the mystical trance of the peacenik brigade.

How sad !! ~ That an elected government would literally sweep the beheaded bodies of Indian soldiers under the red carpet it rolls out for Pakistani leaders says much about the perils of India’s peace-at-any-cost strategy. If an elected Indian government would dishonour the lives of Indian soldiers in this fashion, it isn’t surprising at all that Pakistan’s jihad-crazed Army (and its proxy army of terrorists) subject our soldiers to ritual sacrifice whenever they are overcome by blood-lust.

There have been continued violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control, continued efforts  to internationalise the Kashmir dispute, spewing venom against all that is India; yet we play cricket, have economic trade and roll out red carpets for its leaders who come here only to make anti-India speeches.  Shame !!!  Are we publicly exhibiting our helplessness that we are a soft state and have no option but to continue the dialogue with Pakistan irrespective of any serious provocation ?

Now coming back to Hockey India League, at the time of the news of Indian army jawan beheaded, there are nine Pakistani hockey players participating in the league and KPS Gill, the Patron and Chief Advisor of the Indian Hockey Federation, which is battling with HI for control of Indian hockey, put out a statement today saying that, “the Hockey India should immediately restrict Pakistan players to play in the proposed league in protest to brutalities committee by the Pak terrorists.” While stopping the players from participating would inconvenience the league and the franchises, the necessities of politics should always trump the necessities of sport. We are all citizens first, sportspersons and fans second. It is one thing to allow Pakistani players to participate as a sign of goodwill. It is another to allow them to participate when one country is clearly not interested in fostering that goodwill. HIL should therefore let the franchises know the players are no longer welcome.

Running of the League is of least interest than HONOUR TO THE NATION.  If you have been reading newspapers, in Mumbai, Pak players were reportedly escorted away from the Mumbai stadium where they were practising with the Indian hockey team following protests by the Shiv Sena workers. The Shiv Sena workers gathered at the Bombay Hockey Association (BHA) stadium in Mumbai to protest against the Pakistani hockey players, reported CNN-IBN. The protest came after ceasefire violation across the Line of Control in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.