All eyes now on Chandi and Tirkey
BANGALORE: Gurvinder Singh Chandi and Ignace Tirkey will be keenly watched as chief coach Michael Nobbs and the Hockey India selectors get to pick the 16 for the London Olympics in July.
The two-day trials in Pune, beginning on Wednesday, may provide the answers to the team’s woes in the defence and attack with Tirkey and Chandi being touted as the links who can shore up the team during moments of crisis.
During last week’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Nobbs even went on record saying that the absence of the two players had blunted the team at critical points of time.
While Chandi had missed the tournament with a hamstring injury sustained during the London Olympic Test event early this year, Tirkey had been rested so as to keep him fresh and ready for the Olympics.
Two other players whose performances will come under the scanner are defender and drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh and forward Yuvraj Walmiki. Rupinder has hit a low in terms of form, according to Nobbs, and Walmiki, who returned to the squad for the Azlan Shah after a long injury-forced layoff, wasn’t up to scratch in Ipoh. It may be a herculean task for these two players to retain their places in the team, what with Dharamvir Singh and Chinglensana Singh too in the fray.
The selectors may choose 22 players for the European tour, which begins with a short stay at Lille, France (June 28-July 1) where the team is expected to train and play a few matches with the French team. It then moves to Santander for a stint on blue turf and a friendly four-nation series before heading to London.
The trials, spread over three sessions, will see 48 players in action. It will comprise a good number of juniors, according to Nobbs. “We will be picking the team on form. But at the same time, we wouldn’t want the seniors to take their positions for granted. The juniors will push them into performing better. Having said that, we wouldn’t be picking junior players as they haven’t had enough time with us or have had the necessary biomechanics or training that the seniors have had over the last nine months,” Nobbs said.
With the squad size being restricted to 16 for the Olympics, Hockey India will choose two other players who will accompany the team to London. “The only replacements from now on will be due to an unforeseen injury. We will be taking extra players to Spain and London just in case of injury. They will train with the team but stay elsewhere in London as they will not be permitted any access to the Olympic Village.
As per Olympic rules a player can be replaced due to injury 24 hours prior to the event taking place,” Nobbs said. The Australian was non-committal on picking one goalkeeper to allow an extra field player in the 16-member squad. “No decision on that yet. We will have to see how the players shape up.”