stick it out
Despite the excitement surrounding World Series Hockey, the national sport is all but out on a limb, waiting for bureaucratic wranglers to have mercy. Indira Parthasarathy figures the disillusionment…
INDIRA PARTHASARATHY | Issue Dated: April 30, 2012, New Delhi
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… Dickens may as well have been speaking about Indian field hockey as it witnessed some of its most eventful times in the weeks gone by. The ongoing World Series Hockey (WSH) and the unbeaten stint at the Olympic qualifiers early this year may have given the game the much needed shot in the arm after having been through some very painful lows including, but not limited to, failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Indeed, to reflect on the journey of the sport in the nation that claims it for its national game, besides giving the sport its very best –Dhyanchand – is to commission a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.
Stick it out
“Everything is wrong with our hockey,” says Jude Felix, in a manner that suggests end of conversation. Former Indian captain and midfield maestro, Jude Felix is coach to Karnataka Lions, one of the eight teams playing in WSH. This multi-city franchise-based league is proving to be a more popular version of its predecessor, the Premier Hockey League, also floated by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). The PHL was wound up after four seasons, though not before it threw up some of our current top-form players like Sandeep Singh, Sardara Singh, Shivendra et al. With a total prize money of Rs 100 million, the WSH has got higher stakes and the glitzy promotions have done well to draw in the crowds. With efforts thus to set up a robust professional league – what, most agree, the country was missing – you’d think sunny days are back, right? Wrong. For the WSH is an almost unsanctioned tournament, thanks to warring federations – IHF and Hockey India – who refuse to play ball despite repeated interventions from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that only recognises the latter. The players were forced to choose sides in the name of country vs club, as Hockey India’s whimsical call for Olympic preparatory camps were scheduled to clash with the IHF-backed domestic league. Despite rescheduling, 18 players are sitting out of the WSH, in what can only be seen as a victory for the shameful arm-twisting tactics of an egomaniacal bureaucracy.
Says Arjun Halappa, former Indian captain and seasoned striker, “Till about one month back, I was there (national camp), and I know every player wanted to play the WSH. I really can’t say what happened. For the youngsters, the lure of being called an Olympian is immense. But you can’t blame the players for choosing one over the other.” Captain of Karnataka Lions, Arjun’s closeness to the league possibly cost him a seat in the Olympic squad, but he is unequivocal about the benefits of WSH in terms of endorsements, competition exposure and money. And in a sport that has witnessed many a hero of his day die unattended and penniless, the prospect of money can’t be overstated.
The administrative impasse aside, our hockey has a lot to set right before it can hark back to the glory of six Olympic golds on the trot (1928-56). “These qualifiers weren’t the real competition; it was a very weak field with teams ranked 41 in the group. A good show at London in July will mean something for the sport. We need to make it into the top six regularly..” offers Jude. Former national coach, Spaniard Jose Brasa, who was made to leave in rather ugly circumstances – you don’t want to get him started on the officialdom plaguing the game (see interview) – is however quite impressed with Indian talent and cares only to point out defence as a possible weak link.
Indian hockey’s fortunes in the future will also depend on a good talent harvest system. The sports schools around the country are a ray of hope, according to Jude Felix. As the founder of Jude Felix Hockey Academy, where he and other former internationals work with the underprivileged, he would know. Time to cue the Beatles song, slightly paraphrased, ‘Hey Jude… take a sad game and make it better…’
India has outstanding talent: Micheal Nobbs
Former national coach, Jose Brasa is a man who lets bygones be bygones. Hired when the team was at its all-time low – having missed the Olympic bus in 2008 – this Spaniard fell victim to bureaucratic upmanship inspite of steering a memorable turnaround. Brasa talks fondly of the boys, while hoping for current coach Nobbs’ ‘freedom’…
What according to you were/are the key problem areas of Indian hockey?
Defence is a concern with Indian hockey in general. The natural Indian way of play is the attacking kind. They do it well; they still have to improve overall in defence, and especially improve in stopping the counters of the opposite team.
The short corners are becoming very important to win matches, and Sandeep Singh is getting more confident with his drag flicks. We’ll have to see if it’ll be the same against the top teams and top goal-keepers.
Which other players show the most promise…
India has outstanding talent. Sardara Singh is one of the best hockey players in the world. Besides, there’s Sarabjit Singh, Tushar Khandekar, Shivendra Singh and S V Sunil, I think they are some of the best in the world. There’s Vinaya – I’m upset he never got a chance to prove himself for the national team and Deepak Thakur and Prabhjyot (playing for Sher-e-Punjab, currently on top of the league)…
You sound very optimistic about the team…
Yes, because they have the potential. The problem is the officials who don’t let the coach do his job properly – that was the problem I faced in the past. In the two years (2009-10) I coached them, we never played a single training match before important competitions like the Asian Games or the Commonwealth games. The only matches we played here in India were the official matches of the Commonwealth Games and the official matches of the World Cup. But never were there any training or unofficial tournaments against other nations. And now there’s a similar problem with this fine competition, the WSH. The officials are fighting among themselves and they have forbidden the players from participating in this great league, where they can compete and improve
Would you say foreign coaches are a better bet for Indian hockey over local veterans?
It’s not a problem of foreign or Indian; it’s about good or bad coaches. It’s a matter of style of coaching. Not all Indian coaches are bad, and not all foreign coaches are good. But I do think Indian coaches should go abroad to coach and to attend coaching seminars etc. Indian style of play was the best 30 years ago, but the Indian coaching style is probably not the best anymore. They should go to other countries, for example spend time with the European leagues, and then bring back that experience here.
How does the WSH serve to help Indian hockey?
For India to improve overall and particularly their art of defence, they need to face top competition like all other nations. All the important countries in hockey – European ones, Australia, Argentina – have strong national leagues. Here there aren’t big league competitions to allow the players to perform and expose themselves to world-class players and competition. The WSH matches have proven to be high-intensity from the very first minute of the match. And that is what the Indian players need – to learn how important is concentration for the entire 70 mins of the match.
Many are saying that India’s unbeaten stint in the Olympics qualifiers is not much to write home about on account of being a weak field. What do you think are our chances at the London Olympics?
The only thing holding back India is the planning. If the coach has the power to plan how he wants – and it seems the current coach has it – and India has the talent, they’ll definitely do well. If he can get friendlies organised in the run-up to Olympics, that will be good. India should not have the officials run the sport.
You can find about 25-30 players of international level and they could play in the first XI of any country. The problem is of control – everybody wants to control the national team. Officials want to decide who gets to play, and then who gets to play centre-forward. The officials should be just working to get money for the players, and the coach should be left to plan. Decisions to do with the team should not be taken outside the team, like the decision to put Arjun (Halappa) out for ‘political’ reasons.
Any words of wisdom for Nobbs?
What he needs is time and freedom. And not interference from the officials. Keep the officials far away from the team decisions.