Let us support our national team

Our players have started coming to New Delhi. The national camp is starting on 16th. The very purpose of the first camp of the year is to select a team for the Sultan Azlan Cup, where India of late has been making waves.

For the first time, our probables will be staying in a five-star facility – Samrat Hotel — for the entire duration of the camp. We, at the outset, salute the new Sports Minister Ajay Maken for this grand gesture — elevating an Olympic-discipline players’ to ‘star’ status. We sincerely hope the creature comforts the players are provided with, add to more productivity on the turf.

Of course we haven’t forgotten the accommodation facilities created in the National stadium should be made suitable for players to stay there itself, if done nothing like that. This can bring down national team preparatory expenses, besides avoiding unnecessary travels to stadium.

Indian men’s hockey has not had not much activity, barring grand National Games – since almost four full months.

We can at least look forward to the sports proper, as till now a lot of time and energy went waste on speculation, pursuing courts, irritating HI and IHF postures, etc.

This comes as a whiff of fresh air. Heartening is the fact that the state of art facilities created to host the Commonwealth Games will at last be useful for our national level players. Now onwards the three turfs in the National stadium will witness frenetic activity.

The camp should bring to an end – at least among white collar watchers – to the never-ending speculation inter alia on who will be the chief coach.

This site has advocated continuity in this respect, meaning the whole staff of Asian Games should be continued including Jose Brasa. It is a matter of satisfaction that everyone is back, though one strongly feels for missing Brasa .

Now, a new set of people like Pargat Singh, Sukhbir Singh Grewal (Director Coaching, Hockey India) and others took some pains – at least on the face of it – to listen to the presentations of most of the coaching aspirants. This process went on in many phases. That they too came around the choice of Harendra Singh, who was in any case second in command of last two years, is to be taken note of, and the decision should be respected.

Therefore, there is a strong reason to believe Harendra has overtaken others on merit in the Hockey India camp, which is big now. Till now, we haven’t heard any dissenting voices either by those who lost out or by the people who recommended him (Hockey India) and those who approved it (Sports Authority of India and the Ministry, read its Observers!).

The coaches list submitted by the rival body, IHF, to the Ministry is known. Barring un-tested Jude Felix, others do not inspire any confidence. Harendra at least had the benefit of continuity.

Harendra has been in the thick of Indian hockey (in the coaching spectrum) for almost a decade. Add another one and half decade to his playing career. In such a long spell, where he also was part of a leading domestic team, one cannot expect to be non-controversial. (I advocate neutral foreign coach exactly to overcome such ‘native’ problem).

This long association (without any break in playing and coaching phases) has its own advantages and disadvantages. You get friends as well as foes. This is common place. Then there is rivalry to get to the top posts. In such situation, controversies cannot be avoided.

Harendra has got a pro-administrator image, a reality, which has often led to his role not properly estimated.

Secondly, results under him did not include some one-off miracles like of which some contemporaries, say, the ones Joaquim Carvalho (Asia Cup) or Rajinder Singh Sr.s (Jr. World Cup etc) could show.

One positive aspect about Harendra is, he worked his way upto the top. He was assistant coach for Under -21 and development teams before getting full charge; same is the case with senior teams. He had to undergo this gradual make up, not because it was his choice, but because he was not an Olympian, a tag that can catapult one to the top posts easily in India.

Non-Olympians in India have to work double hard to make a name for themselves in coaching in India. He is only third after Cedric D’Souza and CR Kumar to do this.

In a country where mindset is no less hard as granite, that the likes of Harendra could establish themselves, is not a small achievement. You don’t achieve this without passion for the job.

Harendra, yes, is not liked by some section in the team. That was mainly due to the image mentioned above. Hope Harenddra understands this and tries his best to overcome. However, we need not enter into any research at this stage, except accepting the historical truth that every national coach has had their share of such problems. Govindas did not like RS Gentles, Dhanrajs did not like Rajinder Singhs, etc etc., still there have been successes on the turf.

Whatever is your opinion on this man — who is sitting on the hot seat now — one cannot refuse to accept the fact that he is a hard worker. Secondly, he is update with modern coaching. For this, he took special interest. I was witness, at least once, to him making a special trip to Kuala Lumpur (2007) to witness Champions Trophy. He was there to make his own video and notes, while the Indian coaching team, which was preparing for the Olympic Qualifier then, chose to ignore the major international event despite the fact that England has got a wild card entry and they were expected to India’s main challenger at Chile qualifier!!

At Ipoh last year, he spent a whole rest day in updating his coaching software, with experts.

Therefore, it is time to focus on the positives of everybody, and stand united to support our national team.

Abusing individuals – as some indulge in various blogs and social networking sites – is not desirable. Now that a decision has been taken by those whom the Courts have entitled them to, we, the hockey lovers, should support him, his team, and his efforts.

Harendra, independent charge of Indian team now, should call the shots, ensure confidence in the team especially with those who are in dire need of it, may even attempt at his image make over by deeds, to deliver results. He should stand for the team, and its cause which we hope he will. Honesty will lead to honour on the turfs.

India has to qualify for the Olympics, the target is holy. We have to stand united to support the team in this crucial hour.

After all, in the end its India that wins or loses.