Tirkey pitches for experience
Sidney Kiran
Former full-back stresses on the need for a solid development team
Dilip Tirkey’s carpet-hugging passes and tireless work in defence were the bright spots in Indian hockey as it passed through turbulent times. A veteran of 412 international matches, including three Olympic Games, the affable full-back and former India captain has broken several barriers in a career spanning 15 years.
The first-ever tribal to win the Padma Shree and a recipient of the Arjuna and Ekalavya awards, the 33-year-old from Orissa looks very much in comfort zone in his new role as a government observer for the sport.
In a chat with reporters in Bangalore during the selection trials to prune the list of national probables, Tirkey talks about the new crop, the need for experience, his post-retirement life and his foray into movies. Excerpts…
What is your analysis of the three-day selection trials?
Main focus is in getting a competitive team. For that, we need to have experienced players like Prabhjot (Singh), Ignace (Tirkey), William (Xalxo) and Prabhod (Tirkey) extremely fit. Currently they are not and we are focussing on trying to get them fit ahead of a very busy and challenging season. We are also very particular in setting up a development team because earlier the junior players were directly inducted into the senior squad and they struggled to perform during the initial part. The main problem is that the standard of our domestic junior tournaments is vastly different from senior international ones. Moreover, some of the top countries have a very competitive and challenging domestic circuit while we have very limited events. The youngsters there play a lot of top-class tournaments before breaking into the senior squad. That’s why we need a very solid development team and we are focusing on that too.
Some of the senior players seem well past their prime and are found wanting. Do you think it is necessary to retain them or time has come to hand the torch over to the juniors?
We definitely need them (seniors). As I said earlier, the younger lot is good. They do really well in the domestic circuit but struggle at the international level. The squad needs 2-3 years to settle down. Blooding just youngsters won’t help. We need the experienced legs to play an active role in shaping the squad. Most important is fitness and if the experienced players are agile enough we need to retain them.
Do you plan to start an academy or get into coaching?
Lazarus Barla (former Indian defender) and I are in process of setting up an academy in Bhubaneshwar. We are seeking government help and they have been very obliging so far. It will be a residential one which will initially cater to U-13, 14 and 15 age groups and gradually grow up to U-21 level. That plan is to find a really young talent and make sure he spends enough time before he graduates. It’s all in the early stages though.
How is life post retirement?
Life has become boring! Earlier, the first thing I used to do in the morning was practice. As a player, you always keep thinking about your fitness and you had to stick to it. But now, I miss them. I am slowly getting used to it. However, I keep myself busy in trying to organise tournaments and do various stuff related to hockey. I just can’t leave the game nor can you take it out of me.
Tell us something about your soon to be released Oriya movie Toro Moro Katha Heba Chup Chap?
Post retirement, I had nothing much to do. I was approached for a role and I told myself why not give it a try. I never played an actor in my life until this happened. It was a completely new venture and I enjoyed it. We have done with the shooting and it is in the production stage. It’s a story of a poor boy who gets hit by my car and how I help him and later mentor him.
You have played with many of the players sweating it out at the trials here. Now you are in a position to decide their careers. How does it feel?
It’s a huge responsibility. That’s exactly why I am pitching for experience. I’ve played with many of them and I know the value they can bring to the country. I’ve spoken to the selectors — AB Subbaiah, BP Govinda and Col Balbir Singh — and they seem to understand my point of view.