India look for finishing touch
Once the Republic Day parade got over on Rajpath and the roads were thrown open to traffic, Harendra Singh got an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. As he walked into the renovated National Stadium on the other side of India Gate, the former India player was transported back to the days when he began his career. “I felt 10 years younger,” Harendra, who is the Indian hockey team’s coach now, told The Indian Express on Tuesday, a day ahead of the final preparatory camp at the stadium, the venue for the hockey World Cup beginning from February 28.
“This is the place where I learned to hold a hockey stick, where I grew up as player. Coming back to the National Stadium two days after it reopened was a privilege. The facilities are world-class, and I felt like playing all over again. I’m sure it will pump up the team as well. And after what the nation has given them, they would like to pay them back in kind.”
India have been training in Pune for the last six months, and will now get a chance to prepare at the venue of the World Cup. Construction delays saw a trial event being cancelled and the team now have a little over three weeks to get used to the conditions. Harendra insisted that was more than enough. “I won’t say three-four weeks’ time is insufficient. The other teams are going to start coming just five-six days before the event. So we still have a distinct edge. We’ll have enough match practice. The team is going to play against India A, who’re playing in the South Asian Games, from February 15 to 22. Then we play a couple of practice matches against Argentina and Holland on the 23rd and 25th, so match practice shouldn’t be an issue,” he said, adding that with all the hard work done, the emphasis will now be over giving the preparations final touches.
‘Realistic target’
“For the last one-and-a-half years, we have been training hard and I’m hoping for a good show — at least a semi-final spot, which is a realistic target, given that we will be playing in front of our home crowd. The Pune camp was intense and wholesome. Now we are going to focus on strategy and the individual and team responsibilities,” he said.
Looking ahead
The camp in Pune was also mired by a lot of controversies — first the reports of differences in the team and head coach Jose Brasa and then the payment issue. Asked if the distraction affected the practice, Harendra said it was time to look ahead.
“Whatever has happened has happened. The team has put behind all that and we’re looking forward now. 2010 is a crucial year for Indian hockey’s revival, so the players and coaches are concentrating on the job at hand,” he said.
The coach, though, urged the team to keep their emotion in check. “We are playing at home, and need to keep a check on our emotions. If we can do that, I think we’ll see the Indian team on the podium somewhere.”
Brasa unhappy?
PUNE: Even before the hockey training camp in the Capital could kick off, there were signs of trouble brewing in the team, with coaches and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) reportedly involved in a tiff over the gym at the National Stadium. According to sources in the team, it didn’t go down well with head coach Jose Brasa that the gym at the National Stadium wasn’t operational and that the team had to use another fitness centre at Connaught Place, which is about two kilometers from the venue. “Brasa had asked for a gym inside the stadium premises. SAI has made an alternative arrangement, but it is far from the venue. The head coach was upset about it. It may seem like a minor issue, but it disrupts the schedule,” said the source, adding that in Pune, the gym was just 100 yards from the practice ground. When contacted, Brasa refused to comment.
—Kabir Mandrekar