Cricketers to popularise hockey

Apart from the isolated efforts of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and various other organisations to revive the love for hockey among the countrymen, it is finally the cricketers who have been roped in to appear in the promos of Premier Hockey League beginning next week at Hyderabad.

The onerous task for the revival of the national sport has been taken up by none other than ESPN and Star Sports TV channels who wasted no time in roping in master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and ace off spinner Harbhajan singh for promoting PHL.

The slick promos show Sachin visiting a fortune-teller to know which team would do well and him extending support to Maratha Warriors and Bhajji's bet for Sher-e-Jalandhar has made the league much more interesting well before the action began on the turf.

"I have no doubts that it is the shers (lions) who will rule the roost. we are the kings and we will show it in the league," said Harbhajan against his star colleague's favourite warriors.

If celebrated bollywood play back singer Sonu Nigam has been hired to sing the spirited and energetic number for the promotion of the game, shers captain Gagan Ajit Singh was shown moving around with the top models on the ramp.

The skipper later admitted that he was equally comfortable with the cat walks as he was with the hockey stick..

India's Assistant coach Jagbir Singh who has been roped in by the channels as an expert commentator sums up the hype being created for the league.

"I wish such a league was started during our time. However, it is better late than never and it will certainly take hockey a long way."

"With several international players from other countries participating in the tournament the love for the game is sure to revive," Jagbir said.