A 'Catch 22' situation is emerging in Indian hockey. The influx of money is what the sport yearned for, for years, and now when it has arrived, the cost could be a disease called 'Club vs Country'.
The phrase is not new for Indian sport. Cricket has often found itself embroiled in the 'Club vs Country' debate ever since the birth of Indian Premier League (IPL) - the franchise-based idea hockey borrowed to form the Hockey India League (HIL).
But before the HIL turns into 'hockeytainment' than a ground to scout young talent in an ultra-competitive field, Hockey India needs to slay the virus.
The first signs of HIL franchises, or clubs, getting priority over country emerged during the recently concluded Hockey World League Finals in New Delhi - when a group of players on national duty were relieved to fly for a promotional shoot days ahead of their opening game against England.
When IBNLive.com approached the team management asking why the players were allowed to leave, a top official with the team said: "There's a lot of money involved." And when another was approached, he said, "It's sad, that's the only thing I can comment."
Hockey had never seen big money like in the HIL, nowhere in the world. As Australia captain, who plays for the Punjab Warriors, pointed out: "That's a lot of money for playing 30 days of hockey."
But the country's apex body needs to ensure that money doesn't supersede the need of the hour in Indian hockey, which is competing with the Europeans and Australians in the international arena, and not just compete but win consistently.
But somewhere down the line, HI seems to be kneeling to franchise demands.
In the league's inaugural edition last year, then India coach Michael Nobbs was not allowed to take up coaching assignment with any franchise. It's absolutely right and in best interest of the national team that it's coach finds young blood from a vast field that sprouts up in the HIL from every corner of India.
However, HI has succumbed to franchisee pressure in this edition.
Senior national men's team coach Terry Walsh, who replaced Nobbs, will be coaching the new HIL franchise Kalinga Lancers this edition that could be detrimental to his focus, which should have been on scouting new talent than concentrating on a particular bunch.
Also HI's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans is associated with the Uttar Pradesh Wizards, which again is principally against a job that's created to oversee Indian hockey with a larger perspective.
HI has tried to cover it up by saying that Walsh and Oltmans will not be paid by Sports Authority of India (SAI) for their jobs with HI during the month-long HIL stint, which is laughable when what your are putting on the line is betterment of Indian hockey that gets knocked down every time it tries to get up on its feet.
If anything, this could prove to be another knockout blow if not nipped in the bud.
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