‘Indian fitness has improved vastly’
players are not exactly known for physical fitness and national team physiologist David John is entrusted with the difficult task of addressing this issue. Coming from Australia, a country where players are known for their extreme dedication to fitness, John has been trying hard to instill that same attitude and work ethics in the Indian team. He talks to Ajeyo Basu about his experience thus far
How has your experience been in India so far?
My experience has been really really good so far. When you work in some country other than your own, it is always a new experience. and overall it has been a really good one so far. It is a real pleasure working with these players.
Did you face any problems adjusting to life in India?
It is a new culture, a new work ethic, which can sometimes be completely different from what you have in your own country. It is quite normal to have some problems when you first start off. But what I found is that the players are very hard working and they are always eager to learn.
You had recently stated that the Indian players have really improved their fitness since you took over. Where would you place the current fitness level of the Indian team on a scale of 1-10?
Well, it is difficult to put a finger on it really. But the improvement in the past few weeks and months has been pretty impressive. We were probably the fittest team at the Champions Challenge I in South Africa.
The players are a hard working lot and they give more than their one hundred per cent during every training session. That makes my job that much more easier.
What were your impressions of the players when you first came to India?
When I first came here, they were still running pretty well. But it is one thing to be fit, and quite another to translate that fitness into the specific requirements of your sport. Our players were fit, but they were not really hockey fit.
What I did was that I introduced specific drills to improve their hockey fitness. I gave them different drills according to the positions they play in.What are the areas that still need to be worked upon?
Our players need to build on their physical strength. What I found was that this is an extremely neglected part of the training over here. So our players tend to lag a bit in this area.
I have tried to address this specifically, but this is one area which will take a bit of time. These issues are easier to tackle if they are addressed at the junior level. At the senior level, the job becomes a bit harder.
According to you, which team will prove to be more of a challenge for India during the Olympic Qualifiers?
Well, we are playing at home, that will be an advantage for the team. But the fact that we are the favourites in the Qualifiers, does tend to put a bit of pressure on a lot of teams. We are not looking at the opposition at the moment, we are just looking to focus on what we have to do as a team.
The World Series Hockey (WSH) is scheduled to start just after the Olympic Qualifiers and quite a few of the Indian players are due to take part. Will participation in the tournament affect the preparations for the Olympics if India does manage to qualify?
Well, playing in the WSH is for the players and the federation to decide. But if they do play, it will not really be something of a hurdle as far as preparations for the Olympics is concerned.
The Indian team played really well at the Champions Challenge I tournament but lost in the final. Has that affected morale in the dressing room?
Well, missing out on the Champions Trophy was a big disappointment, especially since we played so well in all the matches. But winning and losing is part and parcel of sport, we will just have to accept it and move on.
It must be a very big disappointment for the players.
Yeah, obviously it was. But the primary focus is the Olympics. Each and every one of the players and the coaching staff is just focused on the Olympic Qualifiers at the moment.