India succumbed to pressure as they lost 2-0 to Great Britain in the finals of the World Hockey qualifying tournament. India's Olympic dreams demanded that they beat Britain in the final at Santiago, but the players were unable to deliver at crucial stages plunging a nation into grief.

The blame game has already started with ex-players saying the Indian Hockey Federation must take the bulk of the blame. Coach Joaquim Carvalho has already hinted that he will resign following this miserable performance.

However that is no excuse or remedy for the pitiable state of the national game. India are eight-time goal medalists at the Olympics, but ever since the introduction of the astro turf they have struggled to make a mark on the International stage.

The last time they stood on the winners’ podium was in 1980 at the Moscow games. Since then they have oscillated between the fifth and seventh spots before today's ignominy of not even qualifying for the flagship event.

As expected the IHF has come under severe criticism and to be fair they must cop it. For the hockey bosses have failed in making the game popular as their cricket counterparts have. Admittedly there is little money in the game, but still the game seems to be a poor cousin to cricket and here's where Mr Gill and his colleagues must intervene.

Today's shame need not be the end, indeed it could be the beginning of a movement to start re-building Indian hockey. Take the game to the masses, start building from the grassroots; else the land of Dhyan Chand will only have memories of the bygone golden era.
 

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