Bharat Chetri Dismissed After Olympics

By Author: ram kausik
Total Articles: 126
Comment this article

Indian hockey did not fare well this year. Even though the game is just as valid as its counterpart Cricket, it fails to be celebrated in the same accord as one religiously follows cricket. The same goes for the players who remain just that- players participating in a game instead of celebrities whose private life is regular fodder to the page 3 gossip columns.

Millions are shelled out in demand of the cricketers at the IPL, ICL and such auctions. The most hockey has to claim in the Monetary front is the USD 78,000 that Sardar Singh went for at the Hockey India League (HIL) players' auction, which if you truly consider, is the best bid that was placed on a hockey player to date. A couple more players fared well at the auction. But Indian hockey team goal keeper Bharat Chetri wasn’t one of them. He went unsold after being tagged with a reserve price of USD 18,550. The recent failure of the hockey team, which he captained, at the London Olympics would have been one of the reasons why he wasn’t off the table. It is a shame really; because, barring that one incident, he is what one would refer to as a talented and an ...
... accomplished player.

Following India’s disastrous turn of events at the Olympics, many members of the team were dropped from the squad including Chetri. Chetri made his International debut in 2001 as part of the team that participated in Prime Minister’s Gold Cup tournament in Bangladesh. Even as a junior player he took an impressive stance and was adjudged the best goal keeper during the Junior Nationals in 1997. He was part of the team that won medals in Junior Asia Cup and Pozan Junior Challenge in 2000. But it was not until the 2005 Champions Trophy held in Chennai that he truly came to the nation’s focus.

His impressive performance earned him respect among his comrades. He was appointed Captain of the Indian Hockey Team in October 2011 following which he led the team in the Australian International tournament and the Four Nation Super Series. He was also appointed as the captain of the team at 2012 Olympics. Though Bharat Chetri’s statistics speaks volumes about the player, his temporary dismissal from the squad came as a blow to the proud goalie. Recently, the player was felicitated and honoured, complete with a Gorkha Topi, by the veteran club at his home town, Kalimpong.