It's not been a happy day for India's National Game, hockey. For a nation that has eight Olympic golds in hockey, it was shocking when India did not make it past the qualifying tournament in Chile. For the first time in 80 years India will not play in the Olympics. Union Sports Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar spoke to CNN-IBN about the failure of the Indian hockey team.
CNN-IBN: The entire country seems to be outraged over what we believe is a national shame with India not being in the Hockey Olympics finals for the first time in 80 years and you put your hands and said, “I can’t do anything. I can’t change the system because the sports federations are autonomous. Isn’t it possible for the government to take any action?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: It was you media who went to town with Mr (Suresh) Kalmadi’s acquisition against me regarding the sanctity of the Olympic Charter and the autonomy of the National Sports Federations that arte affiliated to the Indian Olympic Committee so I am only throwing back at you that the Olympic Charter and the autonomy of the National Sports Federations are to be respected then I cannot take credit for the victory of the Indian team in Australia in cricket. And for that the same reason I cannot take the debit for the failure of the Indian hockey team in Chile.
CNN-IBN: But Mr Aiyar we are talking about a game that is our national sport and seeing a country that is really outraged by this sort of a loss that happened for the first time in 80 years. We will not see the Indian hockey team at the Beijing Olympics. What do you think really needs to be done?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: I am afraid that it is not your outrage that either writes or de-writes the Olympic Charter. The fact of the matter is that the BCCI has every credit to take the credit for the victory of the Indian cricket team in Australia just as the Indian Hockey Federation has to take the debit for the failure of the Indian hockey team in Chile.
CNN-IBN: Would you then agree that KPS Gill must go, or in a sense someone must be held accountable for what happened?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: I neither appointed Mr Gill nor I am responsible for his continuance there. This is for Mr Gill to decide and for his electors to decide.
CNN-IBN: So what is this Sports Minister there for, only to frame general policies? Are you not a watchdog for what is going on in Federations, whether they are accountable or whether the selection policies are wrong in hockey teams, as Rahul Gandhi also says so?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: I am afraid that you have an extremely narrow view of Indian sports policy. Only of a small segment of it is concerned with the sports federations I adjust today and you are refusing to give any kind of publicity to it.
I have launched the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan which is a fundamental attempt altering the paradigm of Indian sports and it is for you to report objectively on the comprehensive national sports policy that we are currently engaged in doing in so far as the national sports federations affiliated to the Indian Olymoics are concerned. They are governed by the Olympic Charter.
Please take your questions directly to Mr Gill and do not pretend that it is the jib of the Indian Sports Ministry, which is sidelined in these matters by the Indian Olympics Association.
CNN-IBN: So do you think that India needs a different national sports if we can’t keep an honour in this game?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: Our honour has been in decline since 1964. I am glad you have woken up to it now. Indian has been decline for almost all my adult life and it is a very sad thing that this is happening. But I am glad to say that Indian women’s hockey is making up for men’s hockey.
CNN-IBN: You seem to be suggesting to say that the sports Ministry has a very limited role to play> We know that the federations running in autocratic manner are accountable, are you saying that the government of India that provides sports budget cannot reign the federations in and cannot reign the KPS Gill of the worlds in?
Mani Shankar Aiyar: We are constrained by the Olympic Charter. We deal with matters in a systemic manner and when the Indian Olympic Association was crying itself hoarse about the nature of the Olympic Charter and the autonomy of the National Sports Federation where was the media.
CNN-IBN: So does that mean the you are not going to act against Mr Gill?
Mani Shankar Aiyar:The national Sports Federations have an autonomy under the Olympic Charter and the Government respects the Olympic Charter. I have been distressed by the failure of the Indian hockey team all my adult life since India won the Gold Medal in 19 64 Tokyo Olympics. And the only way we can change it for the national federation and Indian Olympics to start introspecting and being responsible within their responsibilities.
We are trying to attack the problem through the comprehensive sports policy and the Panchayati Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan.
CNN-IBN: That would remove KPS Gill.
Mani Shankar Aiyar: KPS Gill would be your problem, but sports for all is my problem.
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