New Indian Express: Hockey win not a flash in the pan

The second junior World Cup was won, cherished and enjoyed. It is set to be tucked into the wardrobe of immortality just like the first one in 2001.

It has been one of the greatest moments in the history of the sport in recent times. But, going by the way Hockey India has been handling things, trying to reinvent the sport and itself, it seems they don’t like resting on laurels. Of late, hockey has been ascending.

The junior team topped an eventful year for the sport with the coveted Cup. It was not a flash-in-the-pan moment. Before the whistle was blown, the Indian boys were favourites, because of their accomplishments over the past few months. They had won the junior Asian Cup and in the run up to the World Cup, a couple of other tournaments. Being the host was an advantage. The rest was ability and tactics.

What went right for the team? Hockey India has put in place a few programmes for the senior and junior teams (men and women). There has been a complete overhaul of the system after the senior team’s debacle at the 2012 Olympics. It’s a process of continuity and early planning. The junior team, except for a player or two, was not tinkered with since April 2014.

Harendra Singh was the coach and he remained with the team. There was no paucity of funds. There was lucidity in approach and focus of the team was evident in their relentless training regimen. Just before the Cup in Lucknow, senior chief coach Roelant Oltmans was brought in as manager. Players like Harjeet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Harmanpreet Singh, Vikas Dahiya, Varun Kumar stood out.

With the men’s World Cup in 2018 slotted in India, Oltmans must be closely monitoring the performance of some of the juniors. They know how crucial it is for these young men to make it to the higher level. They must be guided and moulded, so that the transition is smooth and they develop into better players.