Sehwag says, go for the hockey! (So do I)

Right. I know this is a cricket blog. But today, I'm going to hijack this space and talk about that other Indian sport. You know, the one in which we've won tons of Olympic gold medals: hockey?

I've never talked about hockey on this blog because, well, like I said, it's a cricket blog. But I love hockey. I've only played for one school team in my life and that was hockey in my 12th year. I played all the positions on the right flank: full-back, half, forward. I used a Karachi Blues stick, a loan for the season from my coach. It was a heavy monster but it helped getting those speedy passes up or across the line. I never quite mastered extensive dribbling, but I ran pretty quickly and moved the ball reasonably well. All in all, playing hockey was a true passion that last school year and had it not been for an idiotic coach, I would have enjoyed it even more.

Before coming to the US, it was no exaggeration to say that I was a devoted hockey fan, with fairly nerdy take on the game. I followed the Indian team's fortunes with a great deal of interest and went through all the roller-coaster emotions that Indian hockey fans had to deal with in the 1980s, in tournaments like the Champions Trophy and the Olympics (it hasn't really changed in recent years). And yes, I do remember that Pargat Singh goal against Germany. (I even had a domestic favorite: Indian Airlines, which at one time, featured the entire Indian forward line!).

Sadly, I've hardly been able to get any coverage of the game since moving here. I've only caught up with hockey news belatedly and have not managed to watch a single game live. But, while living in Sydney, I did go to see one game at the Olympics: India's disastrous game against Poland, a late equalizer in which knocked India out of the semis. It rained hard that night; I was soaked, and my misery was complete.

Well, the World Cup is on now. And India beat Pakistan 4-1 in the opening game (yup, the rivalry is as intense as the cricketing one, so the score is a big deal; indeed, the television ratings for this game kicked some ODIs' arses). As you can see,



Sehwag thinks we should all go for the games and cheer on the lads. I wish I could. It's in my old home-town, at a stadium I know well. So, let me know if you know how I could watch the game on the net, and if you're in Delhi, go cheer on the boys. India play Australia today.

Update: India lost 2-5.