For a long time Cricket has been the only serious sport in India. The only game in which people could think of making a career, and be sure that they would not be laughed at by friends, family or the society-wallahs.
Some of us may remember the scene from Chak De India, in which the Vice-captain of Indian Cricket team asks his girlfriend, Preeti, who is also a player of the Indian women’s Hockey team’s final 16 to quit her games after marriage as Hockey is nothing but a joke when compared to Cricket.
Some people might say that quoting a movie to prove a point is not good, as they are commercial ventures with a motive of earning profit. But movies and literature are nothing but a mirror of the society, and what was said is unfortunately, true. It’s high time we stop neglecting other sports in our country be it football, the game played by the most number of countries or Hockey, the national game of our country. Any other game too can be come under this list of Secondary or so called ‘time pass games’, while Cricket will be the only worthwhile investment for a sports enthusiast.
Before trying to answer this question of why Cricket dominates, let’s first see why Cricket is taken so seriously.
Cricket was introduced by the British in India during the pre-independence era. For too long it was regarded as a game for the rich and the affluent, a game played by the Sahibs, something which was out of reach of the common folks.
It also required a lot of cash to have all those fancy bats, wickets and gear, once again making it difficult for the ordinary man to enjoy. It was not like say, Football, where you just needed a ball and some 15-20 guys to enjoy a game or, say, kabbadi, where you needed nothing other than 10 free people for a physically demanding and well spent hour of the game.
In the post-independence era people still continued to attach this game with status. Cricket was and is always presented as the ‘Gentleman’s Game’, played only by the educated, modern and sophisticated individuals. The promise of a wealthy and glamourous life ahead too added up. While Hockey continues bringing us medals in the Olympics the Board for Cricket in India continues to attract more and more people to join the list of Cricket fanatics by showing the wealth and glamour of the cricketers.One would be surprised that how many people don’t know the name of the captain of our Hockey team, which is our national game, while they can tell the stats of a foreign player who plays for a team in the IPL with great ease. This should be a matter of great shame and concern. Agreed that Cricket is a good game, but it should not be presented as the only option for a person looking forward to make a career in sports. Other sports too should be highlighted and their players amply rewarded to draw masses towards these games. It has been a long time since the era of Major Dhyanchand and Mr. Milkha Singh, we simply cannot sit back and talk about those past feats.
The good news is that film stars, government and even cricketers are coming forward to support other games both financially and physically. Movies like Chak de and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag too make a difference. Let’s see how much time it takes for this message to sink in our society’s mind.
Till then ‘Keep calm, Kanna keep calm’.
