K. ARUMUGAM

Think of China in the context of Indian hockey and Doha comes to mind. It was in this desert capital of Qatar, India were punished for taking China lightly. The result – failure to qualify for the Olympics for the first and only time so far since India debuted at the Games at Amsterdam in 1928.

Moscow Olympic gold medalist Vasudevan Baskaran won’t forget that fateful day, December 5, 2006. On that day, the Dilip Tirkey-led Indian team faced China in its second pool match after defeating Bangladesh 6-0. But the Baskaran-Dilip duo was oblivious of what lay in store. Faster and fitter, the Chinese stunned India by racing to a 2-0 lead (Lian Hu in 13th min and Xian Tang Liu, 20th). Right winger Rajpal Singh reduced the margin at the stroke of half time (35th minute) but Yi Song’s penalty corner conversion in the 59th minute changed the complexion of the game which tilted towards the hosts of the Olympics to come.

Yes, V Raghunath, just in his first of a long international career, pulled one back in the 61st minute, but China’s resolute defence warded off danger in the remaining nine minutes to post a famous win. India then failed to beat South Korea in their last pool match, drawing 1-1 and bowing out of the semi-final race for the first time in the Asian Games where hockey debuted in 1958.

Chinese team at Bhubaneswar during the 2018 World Cup

All three medallists were assured of places in the Beijing Olympics. South Korea, China and Pakistan finished in that order to book Olympic berths and India were left to take a tricky path to Beijing via the Olympic qualifiers

That India ultimately failed in their quest, coming to grief in Santiago, Chile, after losing to Great Britain in the final is history now.

India has to just keep in mind the speck of history as it takes on the resurgent hosts in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China, in Tuesday’s final.

India China M since 2004

Coach of China, Olympian Seung Jin Yoo, who took the South Korean women to lofty heights, had been part of many South Korean teams that tore Indian and Pakistani reputations to shreds in the 1990s and he will hardly bother about the image of his opponents – amply evident on Monday when China overcame Pakistan in the first semi-final.

Fitness has been China’s forte, and this team is no exception.

India and China have not met frequently. China would often give major global outings a miss and didn’t even travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy.

But however, given funds and staying focused, they usually have excelled though not on par with their female counterparts, who after a decade of indifferent performances went on to win the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal to book a Paris Olympic slot and then clinch a surprise silver there.

Given the limited experience and international exposure, the Chinese men have done remarkably well. The run-up to the 2008 Olympics during which they won their maiden Asiad silver after beating Pakistan in the semi-finals and India in the pool, speak volumes of their vibrancy and vitality.

Which is why India cannot afford to lower their guard when they take the pitch. After all, there will be the Korean Yoo who will prompt his charges from the dugout.

India relies heavily on the spirit and tenacity of its captain Harmanpreet Singh

A perusal of the last 20 years of India-China encounters vouchsafe for the fact that they do not meet often enough despite being Asian outfits.

They have met only in 12 calendar years in the last two decades. Between 2004 and 2024,  both did not meet not even once in a year 9 years (2004, 2005, 2015, 2017 to 2022.

After the 2006 Doha disaster, India beat China 5-4 in the Azlan Shah Cup and 1-0 in the Chennai Asia Cup — both in 2007– thanks to a penalty corner conversion by present Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey who struck in the 49th minute.

In 2008, China took part in the Hockey Australia Challenge, a double-leg four-nation event. India won 3-1 in Perth but bit the dust in the bronze medal match held in distant Darwin (1-2).

It took another five years for China to defeat India (2-0) but that happened when India chose to send a ‘B’ team to the 2013 Asian Champions Trophy under the leadership of then emerging junior Manpreet Singh, now in his record seventh ACT.

But the following year, India paid China back with the same coin, winning 2-0 in the Asian Games.

India and China have played 17 times in the last 20 years. India have won 11 matches while three were drawn.

Fans should thank the Asian Hockey Federation for incepting the Asian Champions Trophy. It’s turning out to be a blessing that can be gauged by the fact that India and China have met six times since 2011 on this platform. That’s boosted their overall head-to-head to the aforesaid 17 matches in 20 years.

Another noteworthy thing about contemporary China is how their junior team, helmed by the legendary Korean coach Kim Sam Ryul, created ripples in the Bhubaneswar Jr World Cup.