NEW DELHI: A lot of activity happened between India's upset defeat against France in South Africa and the two Pro League games against Spain last weekend. The tone of affairs between Delhi and Bhubaneswar was one of 'damage control', especially because it followed a tersely worded letter to Hockey India (HI) that labelled India's performance since the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal as "unacceptable".
Socks needed to be pulled up, even if the reaction after a one-off defeat appeared surprising. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra, who also heads the International Hockey Federation (FIH), had written that letter to HI -- citing performances in the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) in Dhaka and the Pro League tour of South Africa.
