Chaos reigns

KOLHAPUR, Dec 7: The ten-day long championship has been reduced to six. All courtesy the teams that have shied away from the championship...

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KOLHAPUR, Dec 7: The ten-day long championship has been reduced to six. All courtesy the teams that have shied away from the championship which is being organised by the Kolhapur Hockey Association (KHA) for the first time — the 19th edition of the All India Dr. Babasheb Ambedkar Hockey tournament.

“It is a blessing in disguise,” says Kumar Algaonkar, secretary of the organising association. “This move has enabled us to have the Chief Minister for the valedictory function,” he adds.

Moreover, the Sangli team made a mockery of the opening session yesterday, when all it’s member could not report to the venue on the scheduled time. So, it was only the half of the Sangli’s team members who took up Mumbai Colts in their opening encounter.

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Maharashtra State Police, Mumbai, preferred to stay away from the championship with reasons best known to themselves, while a gap in the draws which was supposed to be filled later found no takers. To make matters worse, later in the evening OD FCI Bhopal never reached the ground for their match against Gujarat XI.

However, despite all the fracas, the common man here still continues to feel that despite all the hiccups the KHA have been doing a good job for the town.

The organisers, in their bid to make their maiden fete a grand success have entangled themselves in a heap of blunders. The shifting of the venues, changing the schedules as per their whims and fancies — all are part of the sorry tale.

“No! This is not the way that they (the organisers) should have gone about in organising an all India meet,” stated Perumal, a former Olympian who is here to witness the youngsters play.

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However, despite all the blunders the common man’s belief in the KHA remains, “They have given us a chance to witness the good teams playing. Something that last happened here somewhere in 1984,” he adds.

The response from the audience, however, remains rather lukewarm. A quick glance around the venue gives a good indication of this.

With a proposal for a astro turf in the near future, however, this little town that has in the past been known for its international wrestlers in the near future, could soon find itself on the national hockey map.