Amarjit Bawa (Tournament Director): There is not a single hitch till now in PHL. We will only improve as we progress into the second edition. The format is very encouraging and it will become a part and parcel of Indian hockey. It is already being viewed as a big success. Usually, there is resistance when there is change. But gradually when ice melts and starts flowing, people will like it. Changes are good for the game and for the players. Unless we make hockey spectator friendly we cannot survive. Today, we need sponsors and to get sponsors we need crowds. So a TV-friendly format will not only help sponsors rush to the game but will also help the game in the long run. Regarding the quarters, the change is only superficial. Instead of 10-minute break at the half time, now we have three breaks but the time lost is the same. Besides, TV-friendly, it helps the players in two ways. They don’t become cold with a long breaks which is also boring for the audience. Now the coaches also get a chance of putting in new thoughts three times and not just once. The Players get enough rest three times to recoup and the body heat will be retained. Majority of coaches are happy with this. Some feel one-minute and two-minute time outs are too less time to change strategy. It also increases the period of play which results in players getting tired. I will include these opinions in my report to IHF and FIH.

Harindra Singh (Coach, Jr.India & Chennai Veerans): We lost all the three games but no need to worry. We have a very good team and we played fantastic hockey. We were tactically good and our strategies were well adopted by the boys. We lost the games due to quick goals by the opponent, but I feel my boys were well on target as far as implementing the plans are concerned. Even FIH Master Coach, who analysed our game at the coaching clinic, showed us the video footage and pointed out that we had more ball possession than our rivals and it is so high that it was more than the normal international standards. But we were unlucky that in all the three matches, we conceded quick goals and the tide turned away from us. Still our boys managed to come back into the matches. It is important for us to make the opponents struggle for every goal. We should not concede soft goals. That is more important, because I have a vision. And my strategy is long term. To put it in a nutshell, the league has opened up after the defeat of Sultans by Bangalore Hi-Fliers. So if we win all our matches we can still come back. Anybody can win. There are still more surprises in store.

A s2h special