K ARUMUGAM

Vasudevan Baskaran, captain of the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal winning team has waited in vain for decades for India to deliver another medal of any colour.

But he hasn’t lost hope as he looks forward to Tokyo 2020 and makes his notes about the India squad who, like in any Olympics, face an arduous task to finish on the podium.

“To me, the Indian team is well prepared when compared to the other 11.

“Still, I will express my take on the prospects of a podium finish. Firstly, remember from the mental point of view, this Olympics is different from any in the past in the wake of challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented. The players must be prepared for this campaign with a clear mind. Mental strength and preparedness will count for a lot”.

Baskaran, who in his heyday manned the left-half position with aplomb, then looked at the competition proper. “Winning our opener against New Zealand is of immense importance. A winning start in any global event sets the tone for a successful campaign,” he said.

Winning the opener against New Zealand is crucial, says Baskaran

Baskaran knows too well that Indian teams in the past often didn’t justify ascendancy on the pitch with goals on the scoreboard. “It’s of paramount importance that we finish well. Spurning scoring chances will cost us dear. Much depends on sharpness and presence of mind in the circle,” the former Railways and Tamil Nadu stalwart affirmed.

Inevitably, the Chennai-based icon drew a correlation between winning and the ability to convert penalty corners.

“Penalty corner conversions are a crucial facet of the game. The awards are potent and can often swing momentum in a game. In the final analysis, usually teams that have a healthy conversion rate stride to the podium.

Conversely, according to Baskaran, the avoidance of conceding penalty corners determine the fate of matches. Also, in the context of the modern game, unforced errors in the defensive quarter of the pitch (beyond the 23m line) may be perilous and the team would do well to keep them to a minimum.

Baskaran also drew attention to temporary suspensions, especially the yellow card which stipulates a minimum of five minutes in the sin bin — something that has done Indian teams in on numerous occasions.

“With a team reduces by a player (or more), yellow card suspensions bring on tremendous pressure in this day and age of the self-pass and relentless pace brought on by rolling substitutions,” Baskaran said.

“In a tough campaign like the Olympics, a performance level of 80 percent is a must to retain consistency over a nearly fortnight’s duration.

“Above all, though, it’s confidence that will be significant. I urge the players to enter the Olympic Village with confidence. Rest assured, then, that all will fall in place,” the Arjuna awardee declared.

“And that goes for the women’s team as well besides all our sportspersons who will be in Tokyo. It’s a sincere message from a proud India,” Baskaran said, signing off.

CLICK THIS LINK FOR BASKARAN’S VIEW ON TOKYO TEAM