Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Prabodh Tirkey rushing to wear a Batman-like mask. William Xalxo putting on a pair of cricket batting gloves. Others rushing to pick up the abdomen guards lying scattered behind the goalline. These were the common sights in the Indian camp before a penalty corner during the recent Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Pakistan.
The death of Cristiano Junior, in a less dangerous sport, has had its effect way beyond the football field.
‘‘Cristiano’s death is a wake-up call’’, says India’s captain Dilip Tirkey. ‘‘Every sportsperson’s life is important and the authorities should be prepared for any untoward incident on the field, whether at a grassroots tournament or an international event.’’
Tirkey was seen using gloves on the field for probably the first time at that level. He explained why: ‘‘The two hits I suffered during the Olympics and then during the Indo-Pak Friendship series were strong reasons to stir the players in our side to take care of themselves.’’
Former international N Mukesh Kumar also favoured the use of protective gear by the hockey players. ‘‘It’s a high risk sport and the players must be allowed some time to wear teeth guards and other necessary safety equipment before saving short corners. And the use of dangerous shots like reverse flicks and drag-flicks must be minimised,’’ he said.
The umpires, he said, could play a vital role in restricting dangerous shots to curb on-field accidents. Mukesh also demanded that doctors be on high alert during the matches.
Former Indian goalkeeper AB Subbaiah echoed the same thought. ‘‘An oxygen cylinder on the field is a must. It could have saved Junior,’’ he said.
However, he was iffy on the use of safety gear. ‘‘It takes a lot of time and hampers the game’s natural progress. The risks can be minimised by preparing a sound back-up team and not exposing key players all the time.’’
Dilip pointed to another side of injury management: ‘‘The players must be educated about the first-hand treatment of teammates. It would be very helpful in fringe cases as it takes some time for the doctor to come on to the field.’’
