Hockey can learn from cricket

Indian men’s field hockey players Dilpreet Singh (extreme left), captain Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Jugraj Singh (extreme right) show the victory sign upon their arrival at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on October 6 after winning the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan. Pic/AFP

There is something special about a champion knowing when to step aside. Harmanpreet Kaur has shown that maturity by handing over the captaincy across formats to one of the finest players in the game - and, importantly, to her close friend. Leadership is not always about holding on; sometimes it is about knowing who can take the team forward. Together, they have taken Indian women's cricket to another level. If the next generation goes further, Harmanpreet's contribution will only become bigger.

Meanwhile, the recently concluded Asian Games once again showed the talent, courage, and fighting spirit of Indian athletes. I was particularly glued to the hockey, both men's and women's. They played their hearts out, and I felt Indian hockey was once again finding its way towards its old glory.
As an ardent hockey fan, I have seen its highs and lows. I remember the 1975 World Cup triumph and the Olympic gold in 1980. Those were more than victories; they made an entire country believe. But then, the graph went the other way and, for various reasons, Indian hockey took a nosedive. Today, I believe the game has a chance to change that story - and there is a lesson here for every Indian sport.

Hockey was almost on its deathbed when Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik backed it. Infrastructure was created, funding provided, and the game given importance. Players and coaches also learnt from the mistakes of the past. Better leadership, professional coaching and a modern approach brought about change. Every captain played his part in bringing the team together, while foreign coaching staff made a significant difference. Slowly, confidence returned, and Indian hockey began to revive.

But winning is only the beginning. When a team wins a major tournament, that is when its governing body must market the sport. Everyone wants to associate with a winner. It happens in life too. Sport is no different.

There is a lesson in what happened to Indian cricket after the 1983 World Cup. The BCCI was nowhere near the financial powerhouse it is today, but its administrators recognised the opportunity. They marketed the game, built on the popularity of the players and expanded its reach. The fruits we see today were not created overnight. The seeds were sown after victories like 1983. The difference was not only cricket's popularity, but the vision of its administrators.

Cricket also took care of its heroes. Former Indian cricketers were encouraged to become coaches, administrators, commentators, and umpires. Coaching camps introduced former players to modern methods, while the National Cricket Academy developed coaches, fitness trainers and physiotherapists professionally. The message was simple: A person who has played the game is an asset, not an expired commodity.

More importantly, cricket built a supply line. Millions play from a young age - in schools, maidans, academies and even on the streets with tennis balls. From that quantity, talent emerges. The promising ones are identified and nurtured. Others remain connected as coaches, umpires, referees, administrators, commentators, sponsors or fans. That is how an ecosystem grows.

Hockey needs its own supply line. Why not a nationwide Under-10 programme with softer sticks and balls, smaller fields and six-a-side matches? Let children first fall in love with the game. Schools can conduct inter-class and inter-school tournaments, followed by inter-district and age-group competitions. Former hockey players can identify talent, which trained coaches can then nurture. Start at eight or nine, and there is a decade to develop a player. Build the supply line today, and the national team will be stronger tomorrow.

Hockey must also make its new heroes stars. Take them to schools, tell their stories, put them on posters and let children meet them. A child should look at an Indian hockey player and say, "I want to be like him/her." That is how a sport grows.

The Indian women's cricket can learn from women's hockey too, particularly in fitness. Their athleticism, work rate and intensity are striking. I would not be surprised if the lowest fitness level in the hockey team is still better than the best in the women's cricket team. It is a strong statement, but combine that fitness with the enormous talent and skill Indian women cricketers possess, and I believe they can consistently beat the best in the world.

Indian sport has a precious window today. When athletes win, the country pays attention. Children talk, parents notice, media covers it, and sponsors look at it. That attention must become a movement. Market the sport when people are celebrating it. Build grassroots programmes, strengthen the supply line, develop coaches, use former players, create competitions, build infrastructure and make champions stars.

A medal is celebrated for a day. A championship is remembered for years. But a strong sporting ecosystem can change a generation.

A victory is not the destination. A victory is the beginning of the next journey.

Balvinder Singh Sandhu was part of India's 1983 cricket World Cup-winning team

Clayton Murzello's Pavilion End column will be back next week

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper