Indian hockey has been in the news for last six months or so for all wrong reasons. Two unexpected defeats in the London HWL SFs, and consequent misreading of the technical matters, sudden rise of a former physio as the High Performance Director in the decision making process, who had bulldozed all that was built patiently by Roelant Oltmans hitherto, and then in another twist characteristic of Indian hockey the women hockey coach was catapulted to Men’s.
Not enough, Indian adminos surprised the global community with the postponement of its blue riband property, the Hockey India League and then pulling out of the proposed Pro Hockey League, which all put the Indian hockey in a big question mark over its future. The mood here in India on hockey is gloom.
With leading goalkeeper in a long haul of recoup, and vice-captain of the team getting injured in the last camp, the Indians at Dhaka has the onerous task of lifting the morale of dwindling population of Indian hockey fan.
What happened in the last edition of Asia Cup doesn’t infuse anything positive. India lost the opener to Pakistan 3-2 the winning goal coming from Sohail Abbas in his last days of hockey career. That was the only goal he struck at Kuantan in 2009.
Being in the 3-team group, India needed an outright victory over China, but the match ended 2-2 though its India that took 2-0 at half time. Determined China, who had beaten them at the Doha Asian Games a year ago, spoilt India show yet again.
Pushed out of semis for the first time in nine appearance in the Asia Cup, India finished fifth after beating Japan and Bangladesh.
Coach Harendra and manager Dhanraj Pillay were for a while clue less.
The present team has half dozen from the Kuantan outfit that let themselves down.
Manpreet Singh’s team now has two fold task if it wants to lift the morale of Indian hockey.
The young captain has said that its important for India to keep its premier position in Asia. His target is nothing less than the crown which is eluding India since after those glorious 2007 days.
Ten years down the times, India being the top ranked team, will strive to be so at Dhaka. But it will have to face threesome in energized Pakistan, target obsessive South Korea and unpredictable Malaysia.
All the four teams – India, Pak, Malaysia and South Korea – are capable of defeating the other in a given day.
If the recent Asian Champions Trophy are any indications, every fight is going to be closely contested.
In the ACT, India scrapped through Malaysia by a single goal win, and Korea in the tie-break and beat Pak by narrowest of margins.
India’s defence without Kothajit Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and PR Sreejesh need to pull up its socks.
Barring defence, India is a balanced side, that is a good news for fans back home.
Of all the participants, Korea is in dire need of the Cup as it would take them to India for the World Cup. Pak and Malaysia have qualified while Japan, a renewed side remains a dark horse.
With U-17 Football World Cup taking the centre-stage Asia Cup doesn’t figure anywhere in the Indian sporting scene except a few.
India-Pak match on 15th Oct will alert the nation, and then only victory can give Indian hockey a space that it desperately in need of.