For years India was the home of Hockey, but the dawn of artificial pitches and a possibly British influences unwillingness to change their game to suit the new conditions has seen the nation fall well behind the emerging nations. Hockey, just as Rugby Union needs, Wales, New Zealand and South Africa to be strong, need India and Pakistan to get back to the highest level internationally for the game to take the next step.
Those offended by Australia not being mentioned in rugby teams need to understand that with the three countries mentioned, rugby is a more than a game,it is a way of life, and plays a major part in the community. Just as football teams do in England Germany, Holland and South America, and the teams in the AFL do in Australia.
The World Series Hockey Tournament currently underway in India has all of the right intentions. Its aim is to raise the profile of Hockey once again in India and at the halfway stage in the tournament it looks to be succeeding.
Nimbus Sports and Bridgestone are the two companies behind the tournament which is run along the lines of the IPL cricket league. Regrettably launching it now some of the top players in the world are needed in camps to prepare for the Olympics.
However despite those players not being present as the tournament progresses more television networks globally have signed up to air the tournament. Also essentially more sponsors have signed up to be a part of a competition that has captured the imagination of the Indian people.
The World Series Hockey Tournament is now the second highest ranking show on Indian Television after the cricket. It is pulling in more viewers than the English Premier League or the European Champions League, and by a fair margin.
The competition is not perfect, a lot of travel in very short periods of time and teams having to play two games in 24 hours, but it is proving to be a huge success. If ultimately it sees Indian Hockey back at the top of the World or even challenging for such a position it will have been worth it, and let us hope that the powers that be remember the visionaries who came up with the concept.
