Hockey needs brain, not brawn

– Grewal talks about coaches, players and more

ARUN KUMAR THAKUR

Former hockey player and coach Sukhvir Singh Grewal in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Arun Kumar Thakur

Ranchi, April 1: Mind plays a major part in a hockey player’s success at the international level, says Sukhvir Singh Grewal, the former national coach and India hockey player.

Grewal was in town to inspect the newly constructed astroturf complex when The Telegraph got him for a little chat.

Talking about the sorry state of Indian hockey, he said: “It takes four years to produce a match-winning team. But the pre-condition is that a proper system be introduced first otherwise, Indian hockey will continue to suffer.”

“The prevailing state of affairs is such that an administrator is everything including the chief of the selection committee. That is why, we see the entire team being changed on the whims and fancy of the administrator. These actions do not inspire confidence among players and does no good to development of hockey,” the former coach added.

Grewal said: “In our country, hockey is played for six months from September to February. A week rest leads to 10 per cent drop in a player’s fitness and form therefore six months’ rest will bring him back to zero. Players need to train regularly so that they can maintain their fitness and skill.”

As a former mentor, he regrets that our coaches do not keep updating their knowledge. “The National Institute of Sports produces coaches after a nine-month course. But that is only the base. The coaches need to build up and grow from there. They do not make an effort to grow and that is amply reflected on the players they coach. That is why we have dearth of penalty corner experts.”

“Another flaw in our existing system is our players fade away before 27-28 years of age. They start early and finish early. But players reach the peak of their mental and physical abilities by 27/28. All penalty corner experts from Holland or other countries are of that age group.”

Courtesy: Telegraph