The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Hockey’s synthetic hurdles
Ramu Sharma

Mohammed Shahid, former captain and one of the finest ball players from the subcontinent, has only reconfirmed what many of his contemporaries and other big stars of the 80s have stated. In an interview with a leading national daily Shahid has squarely blamed the transition from grass to synthetic as being one of the major causes of India’s slide in world hockey. Shahid’s views on the issue are of much greater significance now since India has finally appeared to have arrived in the world of synthetic grass. That is as far as the players wearing the national colours are concerned.

Given the heartening display in the tri-nation series in Australia where India won the second leg final with an authentic 5-3 over the host team, it can be presumed that the players have finally managed to come on terms with synthetic surface and those excelling on it. The conclusion is not based on just one win over Australia but in the general showing of the team in the various tournaments such as the recent one Down Under. In fact, apart from the victory over Australia there is also the edge over Pakistan which India continues to claim ever since the famous win in Dhaka two years ago. For whatever the state of Pakistan hockey these days, and notwithstanding its relegation to the fourth spot in the Asian Games in Busan, it is a team which has maintained some sort of a power equation with the European and other nations in hockey, at least on the world stage such as the Olympics and World Cup. India cannot say the same about its hockey fortunes.

Shahid, however, has done much more than analyse the transformation from grass to synthetic surface when pinpoints the areas which need to stressed while conforming to the new playing fields. And of special importance is the emphasis on matching the pace of the European teams. He has also spoken about the fitness level.

Indian hockey’s problem with synthetic surface thus not necessarily lies only with the playing field but also, and more importantly, with the fitness level of the players. As a developing country it was not easy to generate funds to lay synthetic surfaces all over the country in the 80s. And at the same time the top players had a feel of the surface only during training and camps and not for tournaments. This was in sharp contrast to European countries where there were any number of astro-turfs of various hues available and the players began their hockey careers on these surfaces.

Thus it was but natural that the Europeans forged ahead in the game. And there is the example of South Korea, a comparative newcomer to hockey, which transformed from a beginner to the level of Asian Games and Asian champion in a matter of less than a decade, winning the first senior title when the Games were hosted in Seoul in 1986. And one of the main reasons for the remarkable progress in the game was said to be the commando training methods used to trim the players.

Today India reportedly has more than 25 synthetic surfaces with the capital alone boasting of three, a luxury which is fast become a waste. Thanks to the spreading of national games culture, almost every state has at least one synthetic turf. For a large country like India this is not sufficient. It needs more, many more if the surface has to be available to players from school, college and clubs. At the moment and in most states, grass is still the accepted and the only available culture. Unless this is changed it will not be easy to produce players for the national level, players who would then progress to match the best at the international level. At the moment the players manage to get enough practice on synthetic surfaces only when they are called to wear national colours. It is not easy for them to transform into international level stars at such a short time.

The fact that India has done well enough to remain among the top six in the world is a tribute to the inherent skills, passed down as it were from father to son. But that is not enough. To add to the skill at the highest level is the importance of matching the fitness level of the Koreans and Europeans. One can always point to the 35-year- plus Dhanraj Pillay continuing to shine even at this age at the highest level. He is an exception.

What is needed to ensure an overall improvement in Indian hockey is more and more astro turfs so that it is available from the earliest stages of a player’s career and more importantly, a fitness specialist for the national team, somebody like Adrian Le Roux who has reportedly licked the Indian cricket team into shape.

	The fifth Raid de Himalaya H. Kishie Singh Mr Vijay Parmar, president of the Himalayan Motorsports Association, has announced the dates for the fifth Raid de Himalaya. It will run from October 6 to 13. However, this year’s event has an additional feature. In addition to the Raid, called the Extreme Raid, the additional feature will be the reliability trial. According to Mr Vijay, there will be two events that will run concurrently. There will be the extreme version and the reliability trial. The extreme will follow the same format as the previous raids, exactly as it was earlier, following FIA specifications — roll cages, helmets, 4 point seat belts, the lot, to pass scrutiny. It will run Group N, Group A and Prototype. We have always had up to 33 cars in the raid. We are going to limit this to 20 cars in the extreme raid. As in the past, mo-bikes will take part in the extreme raid in their various categories. "The new feature will be the reliability trial. This has come about because we had so many requests from so many people who wanted to be part of the raid but could not invest Rs 2-3 lakh in preparing the car. They also don’t want to drill holes for roll cages and they don’t want to drive at rally speeds that will wreck the family car. "We want the car to drop the kids to school at the end of the event!" Keeping these requests in mind Himalayan Motorsport has added the reliability trial to be part of the raid. For most of the raid route there are alternative tarmac roads. The officials and service vehicles use these roads. Entrants for the reliability trial in the raid will use these routes. They will get to cross the high passes, they will see the magnificent landscape of Himachal and Ladakh. They may also get a taste of high altitude sickness (HAS). They will have to battle the Himalayas. Since it is an organised event the trailers will have the benefit of all the services for the raiders like medical help, break down help and generally looking after the group. Overnight stay is provided. Mr Vijay continued: "Since speeds are low (like 35 km p.h.) roll cages are not necessary. Actually no modifications are allowed. It must be a stock car. The only exception would be extra lights, tyres for better grip on mud and snow, may be a sump guard or fuel tank guard. You are not allowed to move the position of the fuel tank. No long range fuel tanks are allowed. We will make arrangements for refuelling along the way. And yes!" he emphasised, "no service for the vehicles for the reliability trial. This means lowering the entrants costs and in any case Himalayan Motorsport will provide a service team that will stay with the reliability trial." "It is possible that we may allow mo-bikes in the reliability trial. If so it will be restricted to Enfields. "We are closing entries one month in advance. This will give us an idea of the vehicles participating and we’ll be in a position to recommend what spares to carry to the participants. We can’t carry the spares, but we can provide emergency help. Hence we hope every make of car enters. This event will be an open air laboratory which will actually test stock reliability". This is a true reliability test of a stock vehicle. Day one will be from Shimla to Manali over the Jalori Pass. The raid will have three competitive stages, the trial only one. Actually all stages for the trial are time, distance and speed (TDS) stages. Day two means crossing the Rohtang pass at 13,000 feet. There is only one road to Pang, which is the overnight halt for the Raid. The reliability trial will go only as far as Keylong or Jispa. It will give them time to acclimatise. Day three-the Raid will go from Pang to Nyoma, Loma, Lukung and overnight will be in a camp on the shores of Pangong Tso. Reliability trial will do the Jispa-Pang stage, overnight at Pang. In getting to Pang the event will have crossed the Baralacha pass at 16,047 feet above sea level and Lacha Lung Pass at 16,600 feet above sea level. Day four. The extreme Raid will go to Leh from Lukong while the reliability trial will do the Pang-Leh stage. This means crossing the Tagalang Pass at 17,500 feet above sea level, which makes it the second highest motorable pass in the world. Both the extreme Raid and reliability trial meet up in Leh. Day five Up to Khardung La and back to Leh. Khardung La at 18,380 feet above sea level is the highest motorable pass in the world. It is possible that the event may end in Leh. If permission comes through to go to Srinagar, there will be a day six which would be Leh-Srinagar via Kargil. In that case the event ends in Srinagar. Another interesting feature of this year’s event is the plan for entry fee, which can vary from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per car. The entrant can pay now and go later. The Manali-Leh road is one of the most interesting drives in the world. It really is a drive on the roof of the world-the world’s highest road. Rallyists and raiders have had all the fun so far. This would be a great opportunity for the motoring aficionado to drive on this road under completely controlled conditions in a motorsports event. It would be the adventure of a lifetime. For more information log on to www.rdh4.com
	A golf course for the masses Rachna Singh A golf course complements with its eco-friendly characteristics, the ever-expanding urban concentrations of our cities, and it meant to be a relatively permanent inscription on the landscape of a place. Till almost a decade back, professional designers did not design golf courses in India. Given that there was no expertise available in India, a designer had to be commissioned from abroad. However, the scenario has changed now with various professional golf course designers being available within the country and foreign assistance not being so exorbitantly priced. To augment it the realisation that a good championship golf course is as important for exotic vacation areas, chic resorts as for the proliferation of expensive real estate developments, has, over the past few years, seen the burgeoning of numerous private golf courses around Delhi, most of them being designed by foreign designers. The soaring popularity of the sport, and access to private courses being restricted only to the elite, the need to have a course accessible to the masses was felt. Beginning with public course at Aravalli, Surajkund, Karnal and now at Panchkula, the Government of Haryana has come a long way in trying to bring the game of once only the select few to the common masses at affordable prices. These public courses have proved to be a boon for a lot of caddy turned pros performing exceptionally well in the Indian as well as the Asian circuit. With the 18-hole Panchkula Golf Course built by HUDA, on the lines of the Qutub Golf Course, Delhi, nearing completion and another one in IMT Manesar a flood-lit course being built by HSIDC in the pipeline, the efforts of the Haryana Government to promote golf in the state are laudable. The newly constructed 9-hole golf course, Panchkula, is awaiting a formal inauguration even though the course has been thrown open to the members, initially only for two hours in the morning. The much-awaited facility is set amidst picturesque surroundings on the banks of the Ghaggar with the Shivaliks as the backdrop. Though the conceptualisation of the Panchkula Golf Course began almost a decade back but it was only in August last that Col (retd.) K.D. Bagga of Bagga’s Golf Management Group also the man behind the Forest Hill Golf Resort and the CGA, took the reigns in his hands. Built on a shoestring budget the concept was to create a championship golf course with USGA specifications for the greens and the tees. The strategic design and the layout is such that it will be pleasing for players of all degrees of golfing skills. The course is not long but interesting to play whetting the skills of amateur golfers while providing the requisite challenge to pro-golfers. "Greens to golf course are what the face is to a portrait," says the designer of the course, Colonel Bagga, and since no part of the golf course can have as much influence on a golfer’s score as the greens — the ultimate target, he has incorporated greens of all varieties with the 17th green the "desert hole" being his signature hole." The course is already hubbing with activity even though the club house and the driving range are yet to be commissioned. Keeping a target of a maximum 1000 members in the first phase, the club has already registered 400 members. The first phase of the course, after completion, has been handed over by Bagga’s Golf Management Group of HUDA for maintenance. When contacted, a member said, "the facility is good, closer home and we don’t have to queue up to tee off, like at the Chandigarh Golf Course (CGC)." A retired government employee, waiting for the past seven years to be a member at the Chandigarh course, feels glad that he can catch up on golf without having to pay the green fee every time at the CGC. Willing to ignore minor teething problems, he feels "the course is good provided HUDA maintains it well, which is a big question."
	Desolation rules the greens D.S. Sra Although I am posted in Pune, I have been following the developments on the Forest Hill Golf Course in Chandigarh. During my recent visit, I was really excited to play a round on the invitation of my senior colleague. I should have been thrilled to the core with my five pars, two of these the outcome of easy putts turning their backs on birdies just before the last roll and four bogeys on unfamiliar and challenging holes. However, unlike the fleeting disappointments of missing a birdie by inches, joyful impressions were being repeatedly deflated by the deadly desolation of the course. The very next day, I played a round at Chandigarh Golf Course. The very next day, I played around at Chandigarh Golf Course and my less-than-satisfying performance amply reinforced my opinion that the only but hidden challenge on this course was the varying duration of waits between the holes. The sorry plight of a world class venture in a city renowned for being the nursery of Golfers has been constantly needling me. If Chandigarh is to be associated with any game, it has to be golf as this city must be host to a maximum number of resident golfers. I would not like to press this assertion beyond a point and would rather claim with far more confidence that Chandigarh can be credited with the distinction of having the highest ratio of active golfers out of a total strength of all types of sportspersons living in the city. As golf requires relatively lower standards of physical fitness, a fairly large number of prospective golfers with age ranging from 6 years to 60 years can seek entry into its domain. It is an open secret that the Chandigarh Golf Course is saturated and a would-be entrant with eyes set on its expansive vistas may eventually be forced to back out more due to failing eyesight than by impatience. In all other games, players whether strengthened by the presence of others have the entire ground under their sway. However, a golfer even in a foursome is pressed into treading a solitary path on the course. A comparison with a small boat being tossed around by huge waves in the ocean would not be too farfetched. Considering myself lucky to have played on numerous courses within the country and in Thailand, Malaysia and The State of Hawaai, I also strongly feel that such opportunities greatly influenced me to attach far more importance to the golf course. A golfer has to traverse a long distance to find a place among the growing tribe of active golfers. Forest Hill Golf Course is the first course in Chandigarh which is appropriately designed to bring into play all the requisite obstacles like water hazards, intimidating rough and undulating fairways to keep a genuine golfer fully absorbed. The creation of a course of international standards in a place where the only existing golf course can boastfully claim to be over utilised, should normally generate unmanageable response for membership in the new course. Surprisingly, such enthusiasm is yet to be seen.
	Board must stop ‘fake’ cricket tours D.P. Azad Years after the British colonial empire brought this gentleman’s game to India, England has always remained the centre of attraction for Indian cricketers. Not to speak of the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s, and the big moolah doled out to cricketers as country professionals, the calm atmosphere, the green turf and seaming conditions are the principal reasons for the likes of Kaif, Sehwag, Yuvraj and others to book their tickets without doing a reality check on their ability to score runs in those testing conditions. So when their idols are going west, the little ones are bound to follow. After all they have been doing this right from sporting their playing gear to the colas they endorse. And amidst all this, a group of people is laughing all the way to the bank. This summer, everybody seems to be heading for England. But this exposure tour comes with a very heavy price tag — about Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per child. This particular exercise is being rated as one of the sure shot ways of making a fast buck apart from enjoying a nice holiday from the searing north India summer. What pains most is that some of the best known names in Indian cricket is equally guilty of doing this like other scores of small-time club coaches. And to add salt to injury, there have been numerous instances of boys being treated shabbily on tour and housed in places which are much below the promised specifications of boarding and lodging. On the playing field, it is a rather sorry opposition, which hardly tests the tourists’ batting or bowling strength. Not only this, there have been cases where certain so-called ‘cricketers’, going on such trips, have disappeared and have been ultimately to be deported. Then there is a class of cricketers who have small-time contracts as their mission. And if they fail, they resort to petty things which brings a bad name to the country. It is high time the Indian board takes stringent action against these fake ‘exposure tours’ and prevent the boys from being taken for a ride. The BCCI should crack down heavily on these commercial tours. It should not allow any such exposure tour unless, of course, it comes directly via the board programme. It is difficult to make the young boys understand under the glamour of cricket, that such foreign tours, are non-beneficial to their progress and will not make any impact in their pursuit of earning an India cap one day. They are just filling the pockets of greedy coaches, whose intentions are clearly commercial. A direct and urgent intervention from the BCCI is called for to save Indian cricket from going down to pit levels and resurrect the honour Indian cricketers get in England. The author is a Dronacharya awardee in cricket