Make PHL big like IPL: Balbir Singh Sr

CHANDIGARH: Olympian Balbir Singh Senior on Saturday said the Premier Hockey League (PHL) needs to take a cue from its cricket counterpart, the Indian Premier League (IPL) in order to make it attractive.
    
"The PHL is just restricted to Chandigarh or one or two more cities. Like IPL, it needs to be taken to other cities to make it more attractive," said the 84-year-old Balbir, who had three Olympic gold medals by his name.
    
He lamented that hockey was being neglected at the grassroot level and unless things are rectified, India cannot regain its past glory.
    
"In my time hockey at the grass root level was very strong. Majority of the players in the national teams of both India and Pakistan were from Punjab University. But nowadays, there is hardly any team worth mentioning from school, college or university level," said Balbir, who was the first sportsmen to receive the prestigious Padma Shri award.
    
He blamed cricket for the decline of interest towards the national sport in educational institutions.
    
"Cricket has completely dominated the psyche of students as well as the authorities.
    
"The hockey nationals are also a farce. Ninety per cent of the teams participating in the prestigious meet come without preparation, as they are more keen on traveling to a new place than playing serious hockey," he said.
    
Balbir also asked the sub-continent players not to forget Asian style of hockey, saying, "We should not go about blindly following the European style."