IS IT JUST US THAT IS NOT SURPRISED that India’s hockey teams will indeed compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham if they qualify?
“India’s hockey men and women, if they are invited and qualify, will be here. I am delighted,” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Louise Martin told Olympics news website Insidethegames.
“India is the biggest country in the Commonwealth. We need all their teams in every sport that they qualify for at these Games.”
It bears noting there was more than a bit of grandstanding in the stance that Hockey India had taken on the matter when it made public its decision early last month that it was “pulling out” of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, citing Covid-19 concerns and UK’s discriminatory quarantine rules for travellers from India.
HI had also reasoned then that there is only a 32-day window available between the Birmingham Games (July 28-August 8) and the Hangzhou Asian Games (September 10-25), which is a direct qualifier for 2024 Paris Olympics.
It is also worth pointing out that Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had criticised HI for its “unilateral decision” that it would not field men’s and women’s teams at the Birmingham Games, asserting that the national federation is bound to consult with the government before taking any such step.
Thakur said being the main financier of Olympic sports in the country, the government has every right to take a call on matters of national representation. “I think any federation should refrain from giving such statements and discuss with the government first because it’s the national team,” Thakur had said.
“In a country of 130 crore (1.3 billion) population, there are not just 18 players to represent the country. It (CWG) is a global event and I feel that they (Hockey India) should engage with the government and the concerned department. The decision will be taken by the government.”
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