New Delhi, June 10: In India, cricket is considered as religion and cricketers are considered as gods. Indians live for cricket, die for cricket. People watch all forms of cricket -- Test, ODI, T-20.

Promotions, advertisements, funds all are poured into several cricket tournaments. While cheering for cricket and cricket stars, most of the people in the country have forgot about the national game of the country -- Hockey.

Now, a promotional ad on Indian Hockey has emerged and the ad makes us hang our heads in shame. In the video, Sreejesh Raveendran, the goalkeeper of Indian Hockey, has been quoted as saying, "We have achieved in one year, what hadn't been done in 15 years... we beat the world's top 5 teams."

Sardar Singh, the captain of the team, said, "we were the first to qualify for the Olympics," and the coach Van Ass rubbed salt on the wounds by saying, "the world knows about it, but India doesn't."

The promotional ad has been surfaced just days before the Hockey tournament in Belgium. The Indian men's hockey team left for Belgium from New Delhi on Monday, June 8 to take part in the Hockey World League Semi-Final.

The 10-team tournament will be played in Antwerp from June 20 to July 5.

A top-4 position at the tourney will help teams qualify for the Hockey World League Final to be played in India in November-December. Also, a top-3 finish will help sides qualify for the 2016 Olympics for which India have already secured their berth by winning the 2014 Asian Games gold.

India have been placed in Pool A with Australia, France, Pakistan and Poland and will start their campaign against France on June 20.

Watch the video here:

OneIndia News
(With agency inputs)