Taking Hockey Farther

There is no way hockey can compete with football in terms of global popularity, such is the simple (and safer) appeal of the latter. Hockey is played in some 130 countries, second only to football in over 200 countries. International Hockey Federation (FIH) now wants to push the envelope and bring more countries into its fold, which is why it is taking a relook at grass. There is growing realisation among FIH bosses that hockey needs to be made ‘more inclusive and feasible’. And the way to do so is to allow a move back to natural grass, announced FIH chief executive officer Thierry Weil recently. Mincing no words, he said that many countries had been “alienated” by the high maintenance costs of artificial playing surfaces. “Right now, a lot of countries are not being able to play because of lack of surfaces, but we can be a lot more inclusive if we allow it,” he said. Whether in Latin America, Africa or Asia, “if 4-5 countries decide to play on a turf of their choice, FIH will have no problem with it,” Weil informed. The ongoing 18th World Cup Hockey tournament at Bhubaneshwar had 16 teams battling in four pools, with Netherlands and Belgium going through for the summit clash. The 2014 edition at The Hague had 12 teams in the fray, and FIH is eyeing 24 teams for the 2022 edition. In comparison, FIFA World Cup Football is a bigger affair by far, featuring 32 teams in the 21st edition held last June in Russia; while the same number of teams will vie for the crown in Qatar in 2022, there will be 48 teams for 2026 FIFA World Cup. Football around the world is mostly played on grass; Football bodies like FIFA and UEFA and major clubs still swear by grass as playing surface in tourneys. But therein lies a catch.

The 2018 World Cup football final between France and Croatia was played at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow where the surface was officially grass, as it was in the other 11 venues. Actually, the pitch at Luzhniki was a hybrid — 95% natural turf reinforced by 5% specially designed polyethylene yarn. A network of fine pipes underneath the pitch ensured air circulation and moisture. FIFA had changed its rules in 2004 to allow matches on such hybrid/reinforced surfaces, devising a scale from ‘fully natural’ to ‘fully synthetic’. Interestingly, women footballers have been made to play World Cup matches on artificial turf, which prompted several leading players to sue FIFA for sexism in 2015! It turns out that natural grass pitches come with a set of problems too — pitches get worn out after intense use, the grass does not grow well in countries very dry or cold and having inadequate sunlight, a sharp shower can make the surface boggy and unplayable, and overall, maintaining grass pitches in pristine but match-ready condition needs considerable expense. The natural turf vis-a-vis artificial turf debate has never been settled one way or the other — which is why reinforced grass pitches like ‘Desso GrassMaster’ have been laid. These possess the best qualities of grass and synthetic fibres, backed up by in-fills of sand or rubber granules, and efficiently aired and watered. Lessons have been drawn from failed experiments by leading European football clubs back in the Eighties, when it was found that fully artificial turfs caused more injuries in players’ lower limbs and joints, while spectators were disconcerted by the way the ball ‘pinged about’. Clubs have been laying high quality third-generation (3G) artificial turf which are more resistant, durable and easily maintained. In indoor facilities, these are being used to provide teams with reliable training pitches.

Hockey has developed along a different trajectory, its powers-be going whole hog for artificial turf, which made its debut in 1976 Montreal Olympics. It was then argued that synthetic surface had even bounce, gave better grip, allowed precise ball control, made the game faster and more exciting. The flip side was that it demanded very high fitness levels in players, caused serious skin abrasions due to falls and sliding tackles, and needed huge quantities of water to be kept cool under the sun. More changes have followed — the game itself was reduced to 60 minutes with four 15-minute quarters, offside rule was abolished, overhead shots at goal allowed, and player substitution made ‘rolling’. There was much heartburn in India that astroturf and new rules worked against Asian skills to favour the European power game. Over the years, more than 200 artificial pitches have been laid across India, while Indian teams have been getting fitter to run the Europeans close. Hockey India League has been coming up as a profitable league since its inception in 2013. It is another matter that India (presently ranked 5th) is still looking to add to the 1975 Hockey World Cup gold in Kuala Lumpur and 1980 Olympics gold in Moscow. FIH president Narinder Batra believes artificial turf is indispensable as broadcasters demand minimal disruptions for prime time viewing. But a return to grass, albeit partial, might just give hockey that extra push. It could help unearth talent, literally at the grassroots, in remote places and communities. Football remains ‘the beautiful game’ because youngsters anywhere can simply run onto the grass with the ball and give free rein to their creativity. If hockey is made as inviting, surely it could go farther.