Mind & body, to me, is fitness and attitude. Mutual respect, in the sporting context, is encouraging the team mates to give their best. In Indian context, senior players to motivate the younger lot, using benign words and actions, on and off the field. Mutual respect also means respecting the rival and their strength and accepting the umpires’ decision as magnanimously as possible. Integrity in action amounts to following the pattern devised by the coaches.

Cynics might say whatever they want, but hockey has done well in the Olympics, even on synthetic pitches. Save Barcelona, the Indians have been in the race for the semis till the last league matches. A tie-breaker stood between India and the semis at Montreal. India lost just one match at Los Angles yet the goal aggregate undid the Indians. A draw in the last league match would have led them into the knock out stage, but Sean Kerly denied that at Seoul. At Atlanta again both Germany and Pakistan got away with draws though India held the better of chances. A last gasp equalizer against Poland undid India at the last Olympics. This prompted Roelent Oltmans to say once, `Indians were always there but never there’.

Grass, natural or synthetic, we were always very close to semifinals even in the so called lean periods. We flopped at the World Cups, Champions Trophies and even at Sultan Azlans but always did well in the Olympics. Now it is your duty to do well, by all means more than what your predecessors could in the Olympics. You are talented. And that’s why you are at Athens where even till recently the chief coach could not.

A godsend opportunity for you. To explode on the horizon. To prove the confidence reposed on you is worth. To silence your critics, if you have any. Hockey and hockey lovers are vanishing things in India. In a country where for long hockey and Olympics were synonymous, this is unwelcome. But in the last two Olympics two individuals brought medals and with that the aura that hockey enjoyed over six decades is fast disappearing.

Hockey’s lack of fortunes have been fodder to the eternal pessimists. Do you know that only a handful of Indian media will be at Athens while most of them conserve their monies for the ICC Champions Trophy. This way even Olympics comes secondary in the Indian press.

You can change this. By showing character on the field. By keeping the head cool all through. By avoiding both anxiety and arguing with umpires. Respect each ball you receive and pass. A wrong pass or a bad trap from you can prove to be fatal. That can undo myriad good things you might have done till then. Most importantly, you are there to play seven good matches. If recent past history is any indication, an unexpected beginning or finish seemed to have a bearing on your mind. Now you bear in mind you go there to play seven matches each one is as important as the other.

Note: Two more articles to come in series in the next two days