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Gamechanger: To fix hockey, proper scheduling would be a good start

India prepare to defend a penalty corner against world champions Belgium during their Pro League match in Bhubaneswar on February 9, 2020. Hockey India

With competitive sport in limbo, it's an opportunity for those in charge to re-think how their sports could change. Over the next few weeks we'll look at some of the most popular sports in India and speak to stakeholders - players, administrators, former players, fans - on what change they wish to see in their sport (and also what they would not change). We started with Abhinav Bindra, India's only solo gold medalist at the Olympics, for an overview of why sport in general needs to change. Today, we look at hockey.


Viren Rasquinha, former India captain

One change

One thing that I have always thought about is improving the safety aspect when it comes to defending penalty corners, for defenders on the goal line. There's always a chance of a flying ball hitting someone on the face.

How to do it

Make [wearing] masks and mouth guards mandatory. At present, there's a time limit on how long defenders can take to prepare to defend a short corner, but I would be fine with it even it takes a few extra seconds. I'd rather put safety first, clock later.

Ric Charlesworth - former Australia international and former India coach

One change

I would like to sort out our schedules. There seems to a clash between what happens domestically and what happens internationally. Take for instance the Hockey India League. January-February is a nice window for international hockey to take place.

How to do it

I would like to have an Indian Open League. Get the teams from India, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan and New Zealand to come together and play in that window, a bit like the European League. That would be a benefit.

Michael Nobbs, former India head coach

One change

I don't like the new [ranking] system of points being awarded all the time. The top teams always want to play each other, and rightly so, because the more they play each other, the more points they get. The bottom teams are excluded from this, and cannot move up. One of the platforms that Dr Batra [FIH president Narinder Batra] got voted in on was to help some of the lower-ranked nations that don't have the money to tour. They are never going to get many points or opportunities.

How to do it

Include more competitions. The Pro League is going to be a disaster, because it will run out of money. It takes an enormous amount of money, and it's a competition for the top teams only. It's good for marketing and promotions, but hockey isn't a sport that gets a lot of money from sponsorships. You still get good crowds in India, Argentina, Holland, but it's a players' sport.

Jimmy Bhogal, finance professional and hockey fan

One change

I'd like to change the domestic structure of Indian hockey. The way I have been following the game intimately for the last 10 years, I have found the domestic structure to be horrible. The excess focus on the corporates, and the way that they promote the sport is very bad. If a kid of 18 falls off the radar of the national selectors, there's no way that he can make a comeback.

How to do it

First, you have to move outside the structure of playing for corporates. I realise job security is important for any player, but it's not helping the game. The coaches, the level of the game, the practice facilities - it's not going to give you new players. They have to move beyond this system and develop more academies. We have a few, but they should be empowered more.