The Hindu: Dribbling past the stereotypes

Uthra Ganesan

Over an appetising meal, celebrated hockey coach Harendra Singh reminds us what all determination and dedication could achieve
Harendra Singh was never a ‘big’ player, an Olympian. But the Bihar born-Mumbai groomed-Delhi settled lanky hockey coach has given the nation many big names and some big titles, none being bigger than the 2016 Junior men’s World Cup. He is the quintessential coach who, not having been one, knows what it takes to create champions.

Harendra, in fact, knows exactly what he wants in every sphere of life, including his table. We meet for lunch at the Eau de Monsoon, the fine-dining restaurant at Hotel Le Meridien in the heart of Delhi and, despite insistent recommendations from both the manager and the staff, refuses to have a glass of wine in front of him. “This is one thing I will never allow to be in the same frame as me, I am fine with a fresh lime soda,” he declares.

Hard task master

That doesn’t mean he is a disciplinary ogre. The day his boys won the World Cup, most of the team was sloshed through celebrations all night with an indulgent Harendra looking on, knowing a mission had been accomplished. He was equally indulgent when the Indian women’s team – seniors this time – ran around wildly screaming and celebrating after winning the Asia Cup last year and earning a ticket to the World Cup. It was, yet again, a target ticked off the list. “In the upcoming movie Soorma, on Sandeep Singh’s life, my role is being played by Prakash Jha. The makers wanted a scene showing two coaches discussing the team over a round of drinks. I made it clear I will not allow that on my table. That said, I am not a dictator off the field, everyone is welcome to do what they like. I have a full bar at home. But it’s not for me,” he declares as we are served a sweet corn cappuccino starter.

On field, though, he has the reputation of being a hard taskmaster. And he enjoys it. As one of the members in the talent search committee for the Khelo India Games, taking a break from his duties as the national women’s coach, Harendra is enjoying watching hockey at the grassroots. It’s one of the things he feels needs more emphasis than it gets now. “It’s not just about participation. We cannot simply say encouraging playing sports is enough. We need to make sure that those who participate here are not told they might win, they need to be told they can and have to win. A winning attitude makes a lot of difference to the actual result,” he explains.

Other than his work, though, Harendra is quite non-fussy. He is fine going with the chef’s recommendations for both the starters and the main course but decides to skip dessert right at the beginning. We settle for Soya Kababs and Kasundi sole fish to begin the meal with, accompanied by mint sauce, and talk about his own beginnings in the sport. “I was never a hockey player, I was never interested. Bihar isn’t exactly a hockey nursery,” he says wryly.

Coming from Chhapra district and completing his primary education back in the village, Harendra says he was a good across multiple disciplines – middle-distance running, football and cricket – just like any other kid who loves sports. It is his arrival in Delhi and joining Union Academy that changed the tide. “Back then, Union Academy, Modern School, St. Columba’s, Harcourt Butler and DTEA had very strong hockey teams and all within the same zone. It was fierce competition. I still remember like yesterday, I was in class 8th when I accompanied my team as a spectator to the quarter final match of the zonal championships against St. Columba’s. Our goalkeeper failed to turn up and one of the students suggested I pad up. ‘Ball hi to kick karni hai sir, is lambu ko pads de do,’ he said. The game went into tie-breaker and, I still don’t know how, but I ended up saving all five shots and we won. That was the beginning,” he remembers.

Trivia check 1: Shahrukh Khan was one of the star centre forwards in that St. Columba’s team who failed to score past Harendra. Trivia check 2: The two went on to team up and represent Hansraj College at the university level together.

Union Academy went on to win the title, Harendra playing as a forward in the final and scoring the winning goal. That triggered a desire to work on his game but it was also the start of his brush with parochial discrimination that would haunt him all his life. “I bought a stick for ?13.65 paise – a huge amount back then in the early ’80s – but when I reached the training ground, one of the players told me to get lost saying Biharis can drive rickshaw, not play hockey. But two of my friends in the team – Rajnikant, also from Bihar, and Naveen Raizada told me they would train with me later, and they did. I decided then I would play hockey, left every other sport and trained on my own, becoming good enough to appear for and be selected for Delhi schools team for Ranchi School Games,” he reveals.

Tackling obstacles

The ‘Biharis can’t play hockey’ taunt and mockery of his rustic, accented English would shadow him even as coach but Harendra has managed to overcome it all through sheer determination. “No one in my family is like this but I have always been stubborn. Whether it was for malai as a kid or medals as a coach, I will do anything, go anywhere to get what I want,” he admits, with more than a little pride.

He is now trying to pass the same single-mindedness to the Indian women’s team. “I have told them I want a medal at the Commonwealth Games, play the quarter finals at the World Cup which I can ensure will result in us reaching the semifinals and the ticket to 2020 Olympics at the Asian Games. It is tough but the progress the girls are showing and the pattern they are playing now, all these targets are within reach,” he says.

The main course of lamb and vegetable biryani arrives, preceded by a palate-cleansing sorbet, and Harendra has warmed up enough by now. The man loves challenges and handling a women’s team for the first timeever is as big as they come. He is one of the few coaches in the country who understands the fine balance between technique, technology and training. It is also refreshing to hear an Indian coach talk about stuff like differences between left and right brain, neural trackers, segregating controllables and non-controllables, etc. But while the world was mocking his weaknesses, Harendra was working on strengths. With a little help from Dhanraj Pillay, legend to the rest and ‘Dhan’ to Harendra.

“We played against each other for the first time at junior and senior nationals, both in 1985. His reputation preceded him even back them, as the lightning-fast brother of Ramesh Pillay. We joined Mahindras in 1987 and have been together ever since. He used to indicate with a finger on hip where he wanted me to hit and I would do so blindly, knowing he would trap. He always did.”

Trivia check 3: The trick was used in a scene in Chak De! India between two of the lead characters during a match.

His life is full of stories that may never end. But the meal does as we prepare to leave, he back to the stadium to search more potential gems and I to reality, wondering what all determination and dedication could achieve.