S KANNAN
To say that Indian hockey is in for over an overhaul would not be an exaggeration. In less than two days, three top players, defenders Rupinder Pal Singh, better known as Bob, Birendra Lakra and winger SV Sunil called it a day.
While Rupinder and Birendra Lakra were part of the bronze medal winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics, SV Sunil, was left out — literally. He had not made the final cut for the Tokyo squad, understandably so, as far better, fitter and younger players had got the nod.
For any player, retirement is indeed a personal decision. Some players delay calling it a day so badly, they are forced by the selectors to be left out of the squad. That seems to be the case with Sunil, whose emotional message on Twitter (social media) did bring tears to the eyes.
Modern sports is demanding and at the same time very cut-throat. Unless you are at the top in terms of form, fitness, speed and stamina, there is no way you are going to be part of the squad. Perhaps, after Rupinder and Birender Lakra had called it a day, Sunil, the last player from Karnataka to be part of the national squad, realised there was no hope for him.
Sure enough, the squad of 30 players announced for the national camp under coach Graham Reid starting on Sunday, has a mix of seasoned players from Tokyo as well as newcomers. The advantage with drafting in new players is they get to learn from the seniors, know where they stand in the national mix and also what it is to be competing at the highest levels.
To be sure, Rupinder and Birendra Lakra, played their part for India in many campaigns at home and abroad. They knew that the next Olympics in Paris is less than three years away and the next Asian Games is less just over 11 months away.
In the good old days, many players in the Indian team got away with niggles, below par fitness and even ageing legs. Times have changed. Today, the demand on players is much higher to be fit, perform and soak in the pressure. Those who were in Tokyo will vouch how the heat and humidity in Japan was energy-sapping. Players, men and women, were on capsules to make up for loss of essential salts like sodium, potassium and chloride.
The women players had a harder time as they were dealing with heat rash as well.
Back to the players who are leaving the national squad, it does appear they can still contribute to the national squad. As a penalty corner expert who had mastered the drag-flick, Rupinder Pal was an exponent and an expert. Maybe, rather than hiring foreign experts in that particular role, he can be expected to groom the next set of PC experts.
Lakra, from Orissa, was a durable defender. He may not have been in the same classy mould as Dilip Tirkey, easily the best defender India had in a long time. Given the explosion of hockey nurseries coming up in Odisha and new synthetic turfs being laid in the state, a player like Birendra Lakra has enough roles to play.
As regards Sunil, he, too, can think of grooming players in Karnataka. His message on social media was confusing to some extent. Perhaps, he will also do well to take it up as a challenge and groom the players from several pockets in Karnataka.
So, does the process of chopping old legs remain restricted only to the men’s team. One should not be surprised if a similar exercise is undertaken with the women’s team as well. Some players are ageing, though their performances in Tokyo were outstanding.
The key is to have fresh and fit players for Paris 2024. Before that, both the teams must win gold in the 2022 Asian Games and qualify. In that direction, the process of grooming fresh talent has to start now. If emotions alone could win India medals in hockey, then we would not have had to wait for 41 years from the Moscow Olympics.
Note: Views are personal opinion of the writer