Indian hockey is alive and kicking despite all that negative stuff that is happening day in and day out. If it is people who make such things happen, then you will be happy to encounter affable Arif Ahmed. He mind-manages Chennai’s jewel team, Indian Overseas Bank. The local outfit surprised many before reaching the semis of the ongoing Murugappa Gold Cup. They take on Air India on Saturday. A win would take them to the Sunday finals.

Arif has a gift of gab. And he uses the gift of the Almighty to the benefit of the team. Sample this. He reminds his players with these words: Greatest of all battles are fought in ‘the space between the two ears’.

Afrif moved his interest from cricket to hockey as he found ‘waiting padded in the pavilion was boring’.

Cricket’s loss is clearly hockey’s gain.

Arif’s mantra of success: “I tell my boys, the only way to play the game is to attack and attack”.

His plan A, plan B and plan C in any order is evident in his 4-2-4 formation.

He attributes the success of the IOB team to many factors — team, Bank Sports Committee and the belief that ‘Hard work never killed anybody’.

He takes great pride in mentioning that IOB was the first Chennai team to play in the northern regions in various prestigious tournaments such as one at Nabha (Punjab) and Mandi (Himachal Pradesh). They played against top teams like Services, ITBP, EME, Punjab Police etc and finished runners-up. That too the Madras boys, used to tropical climate, playing in the bone-chilling winters of the North, sans hot water, is mind boggling one.

That’s perhaps is a proof of the team having the ‘Tipping Effect’ brimming with enthusiasm.

His way of preparing the team for competitions are a lesson for coaches, should they be willing to learn.

A qualified Physical Trainer, Sujin Elango, makes the team stronger physically and mentally. If mornings are meant for a 2 kms. run up on the St. Thomas Mount and back, then evenings are for the skill part of the sport like trapping, one touch passing etc. Sometimes the boys are asked alternate with running on the beach. This process went on for a month before the tournament. The hockey skills first trained at the Pachyapas College Ground, gets honed on astro-turf subsequently.
IOB’s 1first match in the Murugappa was against the IOC which had Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakur and Rajpal in their ranks. How do his boys overcome the ‘overawe’ factor?

Simple. “Don’t worry about them. Work hard and give your best”

Additional factor being that the team played against the top teams in a prestigious event in Karnataka, where it beat the BPCL among others.

The team of course is handicapped without a genuine penalty corner specialist.

Arif therefore wants his forwards to score field goals and whenver the team gets a penalty corner go for an indirect shot as “it confuse the rivals effectively”.

On his game plan for the Saturday semi-finals: “Players should not be tense. They should think it’s one another match”.

Arif is meaningfully relieved with the winding up of Bank Sports Board which enabled the Banks concerned to to take their own decisions on recruiting sportspersons. IOB is perhaps the one lone bank to avails the god-send opportunity.

The singular achievement of producing champion teams in the disciplines of volley-ball, basket-ball and hockey says it all.

According to well-meaning Arif, what has made the difference, despite token financial budget, is the Sports Committee concern for their sportsperson. The players were exempted from duties a month prior to the tournament, given reasonable allowances. Further, General Manager level personalities coming to the dressing room to give pep talks to motivate the players.

The success story of the team at the Murugappa almost did not come as the organizers, used to give entry to the Tamil Nadu team, were reluctant to invite the institutional team. However, it was not to be – and the rest is history.

What we at this point of time wish to say is, ‘Keep it up IOB’. And strive hard to stay focused. Because, one swallow does not make a summer.

Whether the team understand this or not, this manger is aware of this and it augurs well for the team that waits for its moment of glory on Saturday and Sunday.

PICTURE: Coach Arif is at far right while the IOB’s Sports Officer, Aziz (third from right) giving away the ‘Man of the Match’ award to a Chinese player during the 2007 Chennai Asia Cup