It will be placing it mildly to say I’m very disillusioned by India’s early exit from the continuing Hockey World Cup. And as followers, whereas it should take time to recuperate from the shock defeat to New Zealand, it is very important make an goal evaluation, not an emotionally-charged one, of why a group that gained the bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics couldn’t even make it into the final 8 of the World Cup.
I noticed the group play on the Tokyo Olympics, in sure tournaments after the Video games the place they weren’t sending the principle group, and I additionally noticed them on the World Cup. The most important distinction between then and now could be that we have been much better ready mentally and bodily in Tokyo than in Odisha. The bodily coach with the group on the Olympics, Robin Arkell, had labored wonders. Regardless of enjoying six-seven matches in extreme warmth, India by no means misplaced the tempo in Tokyo and sadly, I didn’t see that on this group although the group was nearly similar.
The second issue that permit us down was our penalty nook conversions. There was an excessive amount of burden on Harmanpreet Singh — he was made the captain, carried out the duties of the important thing defender and was additionally the go-to drag-flicker. We diminished an avenue to attain by having only one key drag-flicker and sadly, although he has been our saviour prior to now, he was off-colour.
Then, within the central midfield, our inventive inputs weren’t forthcoming barring Hardik Singh, who obtained injured within the group stage. Former captain Manpreet Singh isn’t the power he as soon as was. So, if the midfield isn’t going to create possibilities, the ahead line could be starved. There may be scope for enchancment with our ahead line’s off-the-ball operating as effectively. We have been by no means behind the opponent’s again line — we have been at all times receiving with one or two defenders nonetheless to beat. Consequently, we didn’t get a transparent probability and the objectives we scored lacked fluency.
And lastly, in deep defence, we have been throwing ourselves open to counterattacks once we ought to have been enjoying with higher form and construction.
All in all, we may have accomplished higher in all elements.
However we should additionally take a look at the explanations past the sphere to know why this occurred. There’s a lesson to be learnt from each defeat and this is usually a good alternative to have a look at three key areas the place Indian hockey can do higher.
On the grass roots, now we have quite a few non-public and public academies. However we have to empower the coaches to allow them to impart holistic coaching; not simply technical abilities but in addition concentrate on power and conditioning, vitamin and psychological elements. We’ve academies in nearly each state; in some locations like Punjab, there are as much as a dozen hostels so it boils all the way down to the coaches to provide gamers who can fulfil modern-day necessities.
At its finish, Hockey India, the governing physique, must solid the online wider. At present, the gamers largely come from Punjab, Haryana and Odisha. There are lots of different centres like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow and Bhopal, which as soon as produced nice gamers however are not managing to do the identical. We have to perceive the explanations for it and should do much more to widen our catchment areas.
These gamers should then be given the appropriate pathways to blossom. The present home construction lacks high quality and competitiveness for gamers to develop. As per the present system, Hockey India has separate nationwide tournaments for juniors, academies, establishments and state. As a participant, in case you play in a single championship, you’ll be able to’t play in one other. I’m not positive if that’s the perfect mannequin to comply with.
This replaces the sooner mannequin, the place you had one Nationwide Championship the place the nation’s finest gamers and many of the expertise have been scouted. Whereas this present mannequin could give extra folks an opportunity, the competitiveness of these tournaments is diluted. In continuation of this level, it is usually vital to revive the Hockey India League in its outdated or a distinct avatar. The match was a game-changer for India because it uncovered expertise often to international gamers and coaches.
However these are all structural adjustments that may, if addressed now, assist in the long run. Within the brief time period, provided that Paris Olympics is only a year-and-a-half away, it is very important make some course corrections in order that we proceed to stay on the rostrum and even enhance the color of the medal.
Most significantly, I’m proud of what coach Graham Reid has accomplished to this point. I’m not speaking about this match however general, what he has accomplished for the final 4 years with the group is spectacular. So, fairly than go for a contemporary coach and begin from the start, it should make sense to stick with him for the Olympics and let him full a cycle. Even Gregg Clark ought to proceed in his function as an analytical coach though I really feel he may have accomplished loads higher at this World Cup.
It is usually vital so as to add a psychological coach within the set-up, provided that our gamers want assist in coping with high-pressure conditions.
Nevertheless, we have to take a look at the bodily coach’s function and whether or not this was a case the place he required extra time or if he was actually as much as the duty. As I discussed earlier than, the distinction between Tokyo and Odisha was the bodily preparedness of the gamers and Hockey India ought to relook on the personnel chargeable for it and get people who find themselves high of the road.
So far as the enjoying group is worried, Harmanpreet needs to be liberated from the burden of captaincy however there shouldn’t be any main adjustments, given there’s so little time between now and the Asian Video games in September, the place an Olympic berth shall be up for grabs.
As supporters of the group, we have to take up our disappointment and create an surroundings the place the group could make a comeback. It would really feel all doom and gloom for the time being. However India did combat again and pleasantly shocked us on the Tokyo Olympics. There’s no cause to consider they’ll’t do the identical once more.
The author is a former India hockey captain and an Olympic gold medallist
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