Not just in cricket, but in sports like hockey and kabbadi as well, the crowds are returning to the stadia, live coverage on television is garnering advertisements, though it is nothing like cricket yet, and the on-field action is being talked about.
But that, as of now, sums up the action in emerging sector of professional league sports. There is no attempt, as yet, to groom talent that some of the top leagues across the world do as a matter of routine. For talent, the league teams still fish in the pools developed by the traditional associations. The reality is, having invested crores into buying and developing their franchises, the owners will require a few seasons to break even and start earning profits. Any attempt at going on to strengthen the sport at the grassroot level does not appear high on the agenda till the time the books turn green.
Two franchisees of the Hockey India League — Mumbai Magicians and Ranchi Rhinos — have decided to close shop. HIL and its rival, the WHL, have not changed the situation at the local level for the average hockey player. For the players at the village and club levels, the nursery of the sport, the old ills — poor infrastructure, lack of finances and deplorable training conditions — continue to be a sad reality.
Former Olympic champion Michael Kindo feels the HIL has done a lot to increase the profile of the national game, but it has only benefited players at the top.
“The HIL and WHL have increased the popularity of hockey. The players are earning much more than they used to. But that is only for the select few who are a part of the HIL. But the situation at the ground level has not changed too much. For the vast majority of players, those who participate in the national championships and other tournaments, the financial rewards are still a distant dream,” Kindo says.
“For most players, hockey is still a medium of bagging a comfortable government job. That is still the primary aim.” “These leagues are being dominated by foreign players. Each team is dependent on their foreign players. The local players, specially some of the junior ones, do not get too much exposure,” he says.
For Ranch Rhinos owner Sandeep Dugar, the amount of development that the franchises can do at the grassroots level depends on the kind of support they get from the government.
“Many franchises are willing to set to set up academies. But that does not happen just like that. You also need government support in terms of infrastructure. The corporate sector alone cannot develop the game,” he said. “It not viable for the franchises at the moment, it will take a few years. But down the years, as the league progresses, you gradually start to get a larger audience. Then everybody will make money out of it.” The Indian Super League for football is yet to get off the ground, but rumblings over how much it will help develop football have already started.
The ISL will bring veteran international footballers to India and interaction with them could help local players improve their skills. But the addition of yet another tournament will also lengthen the packed season and take a toll on the fitness levels of the players. Despite the problems, there is a crying need for the money, glamour and expertise that these leagues bring to Indian sport. The Pro Kabaddi League, for instance, has transformed a sport hitherto played by village pehelwans in muddy akhadas into something of a glamour sport.
“Now most kids in the villages want to be kabaddi stars,” said UMumba coach Ravi Shetty, whose team finished runners-up in the inaugural season. “These leagues bring a lot of benefits for the sport and every sport in India should have an IPL-style league.”
