Proposed camp for probables a non-starter

Vijay Lokapally

Indian hockey is in turmoil, again. The proposed camp at Bangalore for the Olympics probables is a non-starter.

The World Series Hockey (WSH) is playing on the minds of those who had signed initially but are unable to honour their commitments now due to the squabbles of the two rival bodies — Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI).

The WSH is threatening to slap legal notices on the players for their non-appearance. The Union Sports Ministry, meanwhile, has made no secret of its support to the WSH, declared “unsanctioned” by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Delaying tactics

HI is disappointed at the government using delaying tactics when it comes to sanctioning the preparatory camp originally scheduled from March 5.

“The request for the camp had gone in October and a reminder was given in February. This is nothing but arm-twisting by the government,” said an official from HI.

The Sports Ministry has not accepted the request. The players are awaiting directions.

The Madhya Pradesh government has offered to hold the preparatory camp at Bhopal and HI was considering options.

A former player, however, expressed his concerns. “The conditions at Bangalore are best suited for training. Bhopal can be an option but not the ideal one,” he said.

For chief coach Michael Nobbs, this is a period to reflect on the qualifier and also look ahead. “It is important for us to have a camp. It is also important we have 48 players in the camp.

“I have always maintained we should have 48 players because I am looking at three teams, which effectively means we should have three players fighting for one position. It is not just about training at a camp.

“It is about physical fitness, the bio-mechanics behind it, recovery from injuries, tactical planning.”
Nobbs’s take

Nobbs advocated a camp at the earliest. “This is the most crucial period of our training for the Olympics. There is a tour to Pakistan coming up (in April). I am not sure if that will happen or not.

“If it does, I will need four weeks to keep the players in shape for the tour.

“The majority of the players are on rest now. The main squad for the Olympics will have to get adequate training time and rest. They have been training for six months now with camps and tours thrown in.”

Apart from the tour to Pakistan, the probables will have some camps, a pre-Olympic tournament in London, the Azlan Shah tournament and a competition for the juniors.

Nobbs said: “We have some plans in place but we need to train properly. As a coach I can only guide. I know we have some little jewels that can be added to the crown.

“I have seen a couple of hugely talented guys and they need to train with the seniors. I will be travelling to some places soon.”

The chief coach was keen that the benefits of having qualified for the Olympics should not be lost. “The win at the qualifiers was a huge boost to the confidence of the players.

“We need to get there (top six in the world) and I think we are 12 to 18 months away from realising our hockey potential. Winning the qualifier was the first step in that direction,” Nobbs said.

The ball, as the HI official maintained, was now in the Unions Sports Ministry’s court. Only it has the authority to sanction what has now become a contentious camp.