Indian Express: With sweets they enjoy the fruits of their hard labour

The junior hockey team’s hunger for wins is comparable only to one more thing: their love for sweets.

By Mihir Vasavda

The junior hockey team’s hunger for wins is comparable only to one more thing: their love for sweets. There’s not a single member of the squad who does not like to indulge in an occasion sweet or two. For the last two and a half years, though, they haven’t been allowed even a sniff as the players resolutely followed the team’s scientific advisor’s Cody Tribe’s strict diet plan.

So it wasn’t much of a guess as to how they planned to celebrate their junior World Cup win. “Sweets. Plenty of sweets tonight,” captain Harjeet Singh said in a post match conference addressed by all players. “We haven’t had it for the last two years… Ab aaram se khaenge,” Gurjant Singh, who scored a goal each in the semifinal and final, chimed in.

For almost an hour after the hooter sounded, Indian players did not leave the trophy out of their sights. They carried it wherever they went – from turf to the dressing room, media conference and even to their ice bath. For them, this has been a culmination of more than two years of single-minded preparation under Harendra Singh.
When the players gathered under Harendra in April 2014, they knew little about each other. They had faced each other in an odd tournament or two domestically. How this shy bunch of players turned into this flamboyant, extrovert bunch no one knows. “We did not keep any two players from same states in one room. They were also mixed and matched to ensure every player knew each other,” Harendra said. At Bangalore Sports Authority of India centre, the players would have a fancy dress competition every week, which would invariably turn into a leg-pulling session. Once, a member of the coaching staff forced one of the players to wear a pink-coloured tank top. Not surprisingly, that player became scapegoat for remainder of the week.

To ensure discipline Roelant Oltmans, who is manager of the team, started levying Rs 500 fine on the players every time they reached late for training.

The money would then be used for refreshments and such during tours. The positive mood of the team was evident throughout the tournament. Several times, India have been under immense pressure. But unlike several other previous teams, which have been individualistic in nature, this bunch has thrived in the collective team spirit.

Sreejesh, who has been with them as a mentor for the last one month, has had a visible impact on them. On Sunday, he barged into the press conference room and in his inimitable fashion, joked with the coaching staff. “You coached us in 2005,” Sreejesh, who was a part of the 2005 junior World Cup squad, asked Harendra. “Which team did you like better?” An embarrassed Harendra could only smile.

The players weren’t the only ones who had abstained from their indulgence. “I haven’t had a drink since the last six months,” Oltmans joked. The Dutchman had promised he would have a beer if India did well at the Olympics. He then extended it till the junior World Cup. He can now allow himself a couple of drinks. “Maybe a beer or two,” he smiled.