Date-month nowadays stands for terrorists strikes. We for a change a positive one now to cherish forever – nine/nine. On September 9, India defended its Asia Cup in a majestic way in Chennai and the acronym is best way to immortalize it.
As the euphoria of grand 9/9 settles down, it is time to figure out the factors that went behind the grand success. And this exercise is must — to remind the authorities not to commit past mistakes that would make the victory meaningless.
Obviously, the coach Joaquim Carvalho, who steered India to a medal of any hue in the three tournaments he was in charge in the past six months, deserves every adulation that comes his way. He likes to be in the limelight, and this time he richly deserves one.
India hosted Asia Cup, Asian Games and World Cup once, Champions Trophy twice in the past. If you leave out the lowly Afro-Asian Games, the 9/9 is the first occasion that the hosts India won the trophy. The home disasters were one of the prime reasons why hockey’s popularity is what it is nowadays.
Certainly Carvalho deserves much kudo, for, making the Indian public believe in hockey.
Now the moot point.
When Joaquim Carvalho could do it, why his two immediate predecessors, Rajinder Singh Jr. and Vasudevan Baskaran, failed? Reasons are very simple. They compromised on team selection and thus failed to inspire their outfits
Despite his standing and knowledge of the game, Baskaran included players like Adam Sinclair in his Asiad side, as if his absence was the reason for the Monchengladbach World Cup disaster. By openly compromising on the selection, he missed to strike a chord with the team he commanded. The Doha Asiad team was as depressed as was the Germany one. When the coach does not inspire the team, nothing can help on the field.
Novice Rajinder Singh Jr. was all of a sudden exposed to high-voltage IHF politics, and his frankness compounded the matters. Neither could he get players of his choice, nor could get sufficient number of tournaments. He was a meek spectator when a strange decision — not to spare talent from the junior and second string team – was exclusively taken when he was the coach. When things did not go the way he wanted to, he decided to go honourably, but had to continue on Gill’s now infamous ‘Search and Locate’ Operation.
Carvalho gave a damn to selectors who were singing the tune on behalf of a IHF functionary. He never bothered who is calling the shots in the matters of selection, but decided to call his own shots. As usual the IHF Chief took the side of the coach, and gave him whatever player he wanted. We all felt Carvalho is doing overdose of his choices, but by delivering he silenced everyone.
Carvalho’s direct contact with Gill, a patron in manager RK Shetty, who also happened to be the president of a powerful State Association, stood Carvalho in good stead. He made his own team, and on his own striking ways made them to strike on the fields.
The lesson for anybody who wants to coach Indian national team, therefore, is there to see. Don’t bother about x and y in the Federation. Be firm in team selection. The rest will fall in line. The history will remember you.
Kaushik did in the late 90s. Rajinder Singh Sr four years ago. Now it is Carvalho. Only exception to this is Cedric D’Souza, and his is a different story altogether.