Under Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, FIH will grow like never before
By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Nov 13, 2016
“This jacket I am wearing today is of my son...I am really proud of him,” an emotional Dr Narinder Batra said in Dubai on Saturday immediately after he was elected as the president of International Hockey Federation, The FIH.
Dr Batra, the Hockey India President, lost his son at a young age of 27 on October 30, 2014 while holidaying with family in Morocco. Since then, the former Jammu and Kashmir hockey player has incorporated his son’s name as his middle name. Today, the world knows him as Narinder Dhruv Batra.
Dr Batra loved his son the most, like every other parent do. But incorporating son’s name as middle name is seldom heard of. Dr Batra has always tried to do something new, unique and unheard of. Same he did with Indian hockey transforming it from a pennyless federation to one of the richest among Olympic playing sports federation in the country.
From leading Jammu and Kashmir Hockey Association in early 2000 to heading world hockey (FIH), Dr Batra has won many a hearts world over with his ‘abrasive’ style of working.
His election as the president of world hockey is seen as a ‘new revolution.’
Dr Batra, “The newcomer’ to the administration of international hockey, garnered 68 votes out of eligible 118 to emerge victors defeating Ireland’s David Balbirnie (29 votes) and Australia’s Ken Read (13), both long-time FIH members.
Dr Batra’s appointment as FIH chief is more creditable as he was up against giants of the FIH administrative structure having decade-long association and experience of running the game at the world level as compared to his association with the world hockey governing body.
It needed a lot of hard work from Hockey India president to win confidence of members, world over. He travelled to length and breadth, from one continent to another in last one month. In his own words he had “had breakfast in one country, lunch in another and dinner in third across the continent in one single day.”
This touch-and-go sojourn was only to win hearts (and votes) of hockey playing nations that had blindly supported European candidates since FIH came into existence way back in early 1900. The wandering Dr Batra managed to convince 68 nation’s representatives how he could bring a ‘revolution’ in hockey. Definitely, he gave example of Indian hockey which has grown leaps and bounds since 2008.
It was Dr Batra who changed the face of Indian hockey, brought in money and took the national game back to a respectable height.
For some Dr Batra is abrasive, but many believe that his aggressiveness is the reason for the growth of Indian hockey. After India failed to qualify for 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sports Ministry and Indian Olympic Association disbanded Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India was born with Dr Batra as its first treasurer.
With his stupendous administrative and marketing capability, Dr Batra, who also worked as the treasurer of Delhi District Cricket Association, raked in crores of rupees in Indian hockey through big sponsorship deals.
Well aware of the significance of marketing a sport in India, Dr Batra made full use of India’s financial might and roped in the best corporates of the country who pumped in money in crores for revival of the game. The start of Hockey India League, though not the first in India, helped hockey grow like never before. HIL forced other ‘developed’ countries to look up at India and also take it seriously.
With his tremendous marketing skills, Dr Batra made empty coffers of Hockey India ringing. Such flawless was his planning that India became one of the richest sports governing federations in India, after cricket, in less than a decade. And he would use all his brains to make FIH a financially healthy federation.
While campaigning as a presidential candidate of FIH, Dr Batra had said that he would not change his abrasive style of working. This shows how straightforward man he is. Dr Batra wants to call Spade a Spade and never believes in speaking behind the back to gain favours.
In 2005 he had waged a war against then IHF president KPS Gill questioning several of his decisions. He had also openly opposed breaching of the federation constitution and had also sought financial auditing of the IHF.
In 2014, Dr Batra waged a war against FIH during Champions Trophy where India lost the semi-finals to Australia due to wrong decision of video umpire during shoot-out.
Apart from his straightforwardness, Dr Batra has the best marketing brain at present in Indian hockey which he would definitely use in promoting the game at world level. It is no hidden secret that Dr Batra would use his uncanny way of marketing in an attempt to expand the reach of hockey in those parts of the world where it has never been before.
To make the game grow, Dr Batra has started Hockey 5s in India with the first nationals in Pune, recently. Similarly, the 20-min per half game would be popularised worldwide which can attract major corporate houses of the world. That would top Dr Batra’s priority list. He wants to expand the boundaries of hockey playing nations from 14 to over 40. And promoting Hockey 5s would help him in his maiden endeavour. FIH needs money to keep the game moving and Dr Batra has already chalked out a few developmental and promotional plans which he would put forth the FIH executive board when they meet in coming days.
Like his late son’s jacket, Dr Batra loves hockey to the core. His passion for the game is undeniable and with his skills and dexterity, the new FIH chief will definitely take hockey to the unknown.
Under him, FIH and hockey will only grow like never before.
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