Times of India: Indian hockey team should be in top 3 in next two years: Raghunath
By Prasad RS
CHENNAI: VR Raghunath was one of India’s mainstays during the Rio Olympics. The defender, who is also a drag-flick expert, played a key role in India making it to the quarterfinals, where they lost to silver medallists Belgium. The 27-year-old represents IOC and is currently in Chennai to play the Murugappa Gold Cup. On the sidelines of the tournament, he spoke to TOI on various issues ranging from India’s Rio show to his future plans. Excerpts:
How do you assess Indian team’s performance at the Rio Games?
If you look at our performances over the last two years, I am satisfied with the way our team has done. We have performed well in all major competitions such as the Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy etc, except for the Olympics. Yes, I agree we could have done a bit more (in Rio) and we still had some more energy on the field and could have pushed it. We had our moments in the Olympics but at the same time – you have to give credit to Belgium (in the quarterfinals). I am sure these things will give our boys the experience on how to handle such situations in the coming years. What we were in 2012 to where we are at this point of time – it’s a completely different picture. India is currently one of the top 6 teams in the world. In the next two years, don’t be surprised if you see the Indian team in the top three.
Do you reckon India lost out at crucial junctures in Rio due to yellow cards, being reduced to 10 men?
I think these things (getting yellow cards) happen at the heat of the moment. Not just us, there were other teams as well who received yellow cards, and I don’t wish to add more to that.
What particularly has changed from 2012 to 2016?
I think a lion’s share of the credit goes to Hockey India and to our coaching staff. The transformation period started in 2012 and our coach Roelant Oltmans has done a great job in getting the best out of this team. From working on our fitness, diet plans and players’ rotation – there has been a lot of change in the way we approach our game and the self-belief in this team is immense.
Could you elaborate on the player rotation?
Earlier, we used to have the same set of players going for all competitions but now – we have multiple set (of players) going in which means players remain fresh. Players’ management has been given top priority. The coaching staff has worked individually with the players when it comes to improving their overall game and you see the effect on our performances.
You are a drag-flick expert. How do you plan to get better in future?
The role (of a drag-flicker) helps me to keep my team ahead and that’s what I had always visualised when I took up this sport. The likes of Sohail Abbas (of Pakistan) and Len Aiyappa were some of the best drag-flickers in the game and they have had a huge influence on me. Fortunately, I have had an opportunity to watch them both from close quarters. But I keep learning all the time and believe I can get better.
Going forward, what are the areas the Indian team needs to focus on?
I think we should focus on consistency. After climbing into the top 6, it is important to stay there. It would require us to notch up high-quality performances on a regular basis and we should be able to do that. Also, our aim should be to build a pool of players who would take our game to the next level. That’s where competitions such as Murugappa Gold Cup come into the picture as they help the next set of talent. We should also look to maintain a supreme fitness level.
Tell us about the captaincy styles of Sardar Singh and Sreejesh, since you have played under both of them?
Our coach Oltmans brought in the concept of captaincy rotation where in every few matches you would have a new man at the helm of affairs. I was the captain for a few games during the Champions Trophy, Sreejesh was the skipper then for a few matches and so on. The reason this concept was brought in was to make players in the team shoulder the responsibility of a captain which in turn builds unity in the side. Both Sardar and Sreejesh have been great players for India, and have only taken the game forward.
Could you talk to us about the roadmap for the 2018 World Cup?
The main goal for us is to perform well at the 2018 World Cup which will be hosted in Bhubaneswar. We have the Asian Champions Trophy coming up in the next few months and if we do well our rankings will go up further. We are the No 1 ranked Asian team and want to go all out and win the gold in that tournament.
How was the experience of receiving the Arjuna Award recently?
I have been representing India for about a decade now and this recognition is extremely crucial for me because we play a team sport. In this team, I join the likes of Sreejesh and Sardar Singh to get this honour. It was a surreal experience to be present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and will always be a proud moment for me.