World Cup Crowds

International Hockey Federation (FIH) boss Leandro Negre has been reported in the local media as being concerned about the crowds at the New Delhi world cup.
We don't have an official figure but the semi-final crowd was around the 8,000 mark I would stay (stadium half-full of half empty – take your pick). While this is a bit on the low side it was a working day, and sadly for the organisers, India were not involved.
Getting people to love hockey as a spectator sport is a constant battle everywhere. The TV ratings and crowds show that the people here truly love India (especially when they beat Pakistan!) but over an above that it is hard to see where the groundswell of support for hockey the FIH is apparently hoping for will come from.

I'm yet to find an Indian person who actually plays hockey. In fact the only hockey stick I have seen outside the stadium was being used by a Delhi policeman to, ehem, 'encourage' compliance with his directions. I know a few 'old school' players who would have been proud of his technique.
Players have always been the basis of support in European countries and I can't help thinking that the solution to the crowd problem, and the more important performance problem of the team is not just in staging big events in India (more of these are in the pipeline), but in getting people playing hockey. I know the FIH has been working in this direction in India too, but I can't help thinking it is going to be a long haul.