Silver at Champions Trophy: Good times here for Indian hockey
The ghosts of the 2012 London Olympics were exorcised at the same venue late on Friday (June 17) night as Team India played their hearts out before losing to world champions Australia in a spectacular penalty shootout in the Champions Trophy hockey final.
There were scenes of emotion and anger with Hockey India president Narinder Batra, present at the venue, slamming the organisers for posting poor umpires. The protest is understandable, as video replays suggested that the standard of on-field supervision was below par.
For a sport which has tried to constantly innovate and improve and make itself friendlier for the spectators and TV viewers, understanding the nuances and rules is not very easy. Yet, the decision taken to award a retake of a shootout attempt following PR Sreejesh’s save was not justified.
There are many ways of looking at the result India achieved in the Champions Trophy. What needs to be underlined is that this was only India’s second medal in the event, which will not be held hereafter. It had won a bronze at Amstelveen in 1982.
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| Roelant Oltmans has been hands-on with his coaching. |
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had decided to scrap the Champions Trophy a few months ago and it’s not a coincidence that India has won a medal in the Champions Trophy which has been in existence for 38 years.
At a time when people at home should be celebrating the success of the hockey team, there are still a few cynics saying that this is not the Olympics! Heck, we were world-beaters in hockey only a few decades ago and the process of rebuilding has not been easy.
Without a doubt, a large portion of the credit for India’s success should go to goalkeeper Sreejesh. Barring the match against Belgium, when he let the ball slip in twice between his pads, his work has simply been outstanding.
It’s hard to imagine what an Indian hockey team will be without this "Rock of Gibraltar". It seems like yesterday when Sreejesh was defending the citadel so well in the Asian Games final against Pakistan in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.
There has been virtually no looking back for the Indian side since then, with the bronze medal last year in the FIH World League in Raipur being the highlight.
Indian hockey has been through so much turbulence in the last three decades, a performance like this has to be appreciated.
For a side which has seen a lot of changes and was put through the paces by an assortment of foreign coaches, it has not been easy.
When India won an Asiad gold in Incheon, coach Terry Walsh became a big hit. A lot of credit for India’s success was attributed to him, but obviously the team has been imbibing from its many coaches and performing well.
On the big stage in recent times, this Indian side has been delivering consistently. At the Champions Trophy, it was sensational. Just imagine, this side did not have inspirational players Sardar Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh, who were rested.
Back to the coach conundrum, after Walsh left, there was turmoil again for Indian hockey. Paul van Ass was coach for a brief period before he decided to pack his bags. There was consternation at home as the rumour mills worked overtime to declare that Hockey India would never let any coach settle down.
How untrue it turned out to be as Batra’s decision to not look for a new coach and let high performance director Roelant Oltmans take over the reins paid rich dividends.
For those who thought Oltmans was more of a drawing board theoretician and only discussed strategies with his coaches, the results are there to see.
Oltmans has been hands-on with the coaching and it’s a tribute to his guidance that Team India has played with such flair.
The fitness, speed and stamina have been praiseworthy as hockey is no longer simply an art. Since the time the sport shifted to astro turf, the emphasis has not been only on skill but also on the science and fitness. The sport is no longer played in two halves of 35 minutes each and the four quarters make it more exciting.
At the same time, the side which can utilise the short intervals, rest and recoup, comes out firing.
As Oltmans said after the thriller in London, this performance and the silver medal puts the team in the right frame of mind for the Rio Olympics. Indeed, that’s true as at least there will be no fear like the trauma the team underwent at the London Olympics.
This is now the time for the government to chip in wholeheartedly.
Sample the economics. When Hockey India decided not to hire a new foreign coach last year, almost $8,000 plus perks were saved every month. Oltmans has been doing the job of working with the men’s team and also playing the motivational role plus monitoring the women’s side for the Rio Olympics.
Surely, this Dutchman has shouldered more load than many others in Indian hockey.