That’s what coach Jose Brasa feels about his stay in the country as India gear up for the WC
DHANANJAY ROY

JOSE BRASA, the Spanish master coach was roped in by India in mid-2009 to stem the rot that has beset Indian hockey for more than two decades. And needless to say, Brasa who is not known to hold back his views, has already gone through experiences he would have least expected once he signed on the dotted lines. With the World Cup only 27 days away, he spoke to Mumbai Mirror about Indian experience and what’s in store for Indian hockey. Here are excerpts of the interview.

You have been here for seven month now. How would you describe your journey so far?

Well, well. Have you seen those posters depicting the Taj Mahal and the catch line ‘Incredible India’ written below it. My stay here could be described some what on those lines. It’s been very exciting with a lot of controversy thrown in. The kind of experiences I have had here can not be matched by any other place.

You have been trying to learn Hindi ever since you took over. How has the progress been and how do you think it will help you?

I am learning Hindi because I want to get close to the players. It’s very important to arrive close to their hearts if you want them to listen to you. It helps in what is called ‘inside motivation’. But as far as the progress is concerned, I’d revert to the ‘Incredible India’ line. The tutorials began very well in September, then suddenly I could not continue for about two months. But I have begun again.

The team has travelled to Europe, Canada and Argentina under your supervision. What are the key areas that you have witnessed changes in amongst the players?

We have improved a lot in team building and team play. In Europe we lost a couple of games by big margins but that was ok, since I was trying out various players and strategies. We beat Canada convincingly and stood third in Salta at the Champions Challenges. These tournaments also helped us identify the World Cup probables.

In Salta we saw some drastic changes as far as player positions were concerned. For example Bharat Chikkara was playing as a defender whereas he’s played as a forward all his life. Is it working out to your liking?

I had made it very clear when I took over that players, apart from the goalkeepers, have to be open about playing in any position. They are adjusting well to the changes and let me tell you, Chikkara is an excellent player, among the best you will see.

What about the pace at which India is playing? Do you think they have it in them to counter the pace of players like Australia’s Jamie Dwyer?

Of course they have. We are training hard towards that. You have talked about Jamie Dwyer.

I think Chandi (Gurvinder Chandi) has the ability to stop him in his tracks. And perhaps Rajpal Singh is a better player than Dwyer.

The schedule of the World Cup has left quite a few people worried with India meeting all the top teams in their pool first up. Do you think it would have been better had we played teams like South Africa and England initially?

That is something we have to live with. When the pools were announced, we suggested to Hockey India that it would be great if we could meet South Africa first. But it did not work out that way with the FIH scheduling committee. Now we have to do our best with what ever has been lined up.

Which teams in your view start favourites to win the WC?

Australia and Germany are the teams to look out for. But in events like the World Cup, it’s anybody’s game once the semi-final line-up is drawn. There’s very little to choose from then onwards.