Custodian in hot seat

Sidney Kiran

Nestled in the hills, Kalimpong in West Bengal is more known as a tourist destination than a sporting centre but the town has a special place in Indian hockey history.

From this hill station hailed the man who guarded the goal when the country won the last of its eight Olympic gold medals from the sport.

Bir Bahadur Chetri is no longer in the news now — his moment of glory came in Moscow 31 years ago — but a young man who traces his roots to the same town is very much in spotlight.

Like Bir Bahadur, Bharat Chetri too has come through the ranks with great determination and two weeks ago, his efforts were rewarded when Hockey India named him captain for the demainding Australian tour.

Despite being told that his leadership role would be limited to just the tournament Down Under, the 30-year-old who has made Karnataka his home since 1999, sounded confident of leading from the front. In a chat with Deccan Herald, the Canara Bank employee, who has represented the country 114 times in a decade-long career, shared his thoughts on new coach Michael Nobbs, the improvement the side has made and the aim of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.

Excerpts:

Your captaincy could be turn out to be baptism by fire. You play top guns Australia and arch-rivals Pakistan in a tournament (9-a-side) that is going to be tried out on the international stage for the very first time. How do plan to cope with all this?

First of all, I wish to thank coach (Michael) Nobbs and Hockey India selectors for showing faith in me and naming me as the captain for such an important tour. Australia, undoubtedly, is the best side in the world right now. Their depth in talent and potential to showcase it on the international stage is something brilliant. Having said that, we too have some really good players and if we play hard as a team I see no reason why we can’t win. It’s a new format but we have been practising hard for the last 20 days and I am confident of a good show.

You’ve been named captain as part of a rotational policy implemented by coach Nobbs. As a result, this could be your last tournament as a leader. Knowing that you have a very limited period, how do you intend to motivate the squad?

We have a very experienced squad with at least 4-5 captains. We’ve been playing together for nearly a decade now and we know each other really well. Representing the country itself is a huge motivation and considering the experience I think don’t have to say much to many of them. Moreover, hockey is a team sport and each one has to contribute equally if we have to succeed.

The reason behind the rotational policy is to identify 4-5 leaders. While it may sound nice on paper it could give way to ego clashes…

I think it is a fantastic idea. In a team, you would generally find 2-3 guys who are capable of leading the side. Nobbs’strategy is to distribute responsibilities among the leadership group. This helps the team stay together and bond really well.

Having played at the top level for nearly a decade now, you have worked under various coaches. How different is Nobbs?

Every coach that I’ve worked under has had his advantages and disadvantages. The best thing about Nobbs is his exercise physiologist David John, who has been a revelation to all of us. Never ever has fitness got so much importance and we’ve never felt so fit, agile and energetic. The best thing about Nobbs is his ability to communicate with the players. He gives us so much of confidence and constantly keeps reminding us that we have the ability to beat the best in the world.

What is special about John?

He has changed the entire squad, including me. He knows everything about us, our fitness level, our endurance, speed etc. Initially his exercise routines used to squeeze the life out of us, but now it has made us so much more athletic. You will slowly get to see a whole new Indians on the pitch.

After the axing of Baljit Singh and Adrian D’Souza, there is not much depth in goalkeeping now…

I agree with you to a certain extent. But, if you see the junior camp there are 10-12 goalkeepers.

While they may not be world class now, we definitely can groom them into becoming one.

The sport has seen a major decline in the last two decades. What do you think is the reason?
I think consistency and adaptability are the key issues. We’ve had many individual talents but have failed to click as a unit. Modern hockey has evolved into a fast-paced game and we’ve been found wanting on many occasions. Skill-wise we are up there with some of the best teams but fitness has always pegged us back. However, at the moment we have a really good coaching staff and we will strive to regain the old glory.

Have you met Olympic gold-medal winning goalkeeper Bir Bahadur Chetri?

No, I’ve just spoken to him over phone. When we (Karnataka) went to Kolkata to play in the Beighton Cup, someone gave me his number. I’ve tried to meet him on a couple of occasions, but it has never materialised. Hopefully, it will happen sooner than later.

How do you rate our Olympic qualification chances?

We really have a very good chance. The current squad is very balanced and some of us have been part of the Chile debacle. It was one the worst moments. We are eager to banish those ghosts.