Waiting for a return ticket
Uthra Ganesan

‘Tactics, fitness need work’New Delhi: Arjun Halappa has almost everything that is needed to succeed at the topmost level in sport — skills, attitude and a proven track record. Everything but luck, that is.
Halappa, part of the Indian Hockey team during its golden run in 2003-04, last represented the country at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, that too despite opposition from some who thought his best days were behind him. Ignored thereafter despite consistent performances in domestic tournaments, he finally made a comeback as one of the 48 probables for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. And as one of the five ‘seniors’ returning to the India fold, he had a lot to prove, but a rib injury during a training session in Bhopal put paid to his hopes of playing in the Argentina series.

“You can call it unlucky, but that’s life. There was no hockey for almost a year, and some of us had been out even before that, so we were desperate to prove that we were not finished. I can only say that being out with injury teaches you patience,” Halappa said from Bangalore, where he has been training as per the programme he was given by the Indian management before they left for Argentina.

Missing out on the Argentina tour not only robbed Halappa of crucial match practice ahead of the four-nation Punjab Gold Cup beginning later this month, it has also left him itching for action; more so, since he is the only one of the five comeback men not part of the team at the moment.

“I know… it hurts. We were desperate to prove our worth. But I am happy that India are doing well in Argentina. The fact that those who were written off have been integral to Indian wins makes things even better. It shows that the talent and skills are still there, despite being out of international competition for more than two years,” he said. Halappa also said that though it was a little uncomfortable in the camp early on, so many of his former team mates also being around helped.

He admitted that the lack of practice may be an issue when the final team for the Gold Cup is selected, since the other teams in the fray include Olympic gold medallists Germany, European powerhourse The Netherlands and New Zealand. “Since there is hardly any time between the Indian team’s return from Argentina and the Gold Cup, let’s see what the coach decides, it is not in my hands. But I have been training and keeping myself fit, and I am raring to play competitive hockey.”

Halappa has always been one of the rare breed in Indian hockey, a striker who falls back often and also creates scoring opportunities for others. He has also played an important role in keeping the team’s spirits up in tough situations.

Interestingly, Halappa made his international debut at the junior level under Harendra Singh, now chief coach of the senior Indian team. Harendra was also coach of Indian Arlines, Halappa’s employers, and that perhaps explains his comfort level with the present team management.

But that isn’t the only reason for this Coorgi bristling with boundless energy. “If everything negative that people said mattered to me, I would have stopped playing back in 2006. But that isn’t my way. For me, my self belief is most important. Kuch to log kahenge—as long as I trust myself, what others say doesn’t matter.”

Courtesy: Indian Express