Selection for Olympics on form and fitness: Nobbs

The selection of the Indian team for various international tournaments, including the London Olympics later this year, would be based on form and fitness backed by data garnered by the newly-appointed video analyst, according to national coach Michael Nobbs.

In a departure from tradition, Nobbs intends supplying data to the selectors who will thus have sufficient information on player’s form and fitness.

Nobbs, along with S Ramakrishnan of Sports Mechanics, who is also involved the Indian cricket team, made a presentation to the media on specific improvements in the Indian team as also the mechanics of video analysis that will play an influential role in team selection.

Nobbs said: “Sports Mechanics joined us just before the qualifiers and their data was very useful to prepare game-plans against the opposition.

“We will also present the selectors all the relevant data on each player to help them decide. So, every selection will be based on hard data and numbers that we will be receiving from Sports Mechanics.”

Ramakrishnan said his team was gathering data on individual players as per the parameters laid down by Nobbs besides providing the coach information on other teams that India would be facing at the Olympics.

“We will provide Nobbs data on all the players that will help him strategise. Over time, we hope to have a huge data base on players and teams, including domestic competitions,” said Ramkrishnan.

While the enrolling of a video support staff is not a new concept in Indian hockey, the set-up is far more professional than at any time in the past.

In 1996 and in his second stint (2002 World Cup), the then coach Cedric D’Souza went out of pocket to collect videos of top teams and so did his successor Vasudevan Baskaran (2000 Olympics). But both were never reimbursed!