All-rounders can help India: Carvalho

There is no such thing as old style and new style in hockey. The basics have remained the same; what’s changed is the game’s pace and the importance on fitness. In the past we used to play in the 5-3-2 combination; most of the world’s top teams still swear by it.

The problem lies in adapting to the subtle variations in modern-day hockey, thanks to the constant rule changes. While the Europeans and Australians, even the Koreans, have adapted to the game’s current demands, in India we are still a confused lot – we do not want to leave our own style, and we are afraid to embrace the changes. That has been one of the main reasons behind the game’s declining fortunes.

SOLUTION:

The need of the hour is to adapt as the situation demands. No single team in the world plays similar hockey. It’s like football. Italian football is different from the English style, which in turn is different from Spanish football. But the basics remain the same. Some teams rely on short passes, some play it long, some teams rely on their physical presence, some on their pace. Each team has its own strengths.

Our dribbling skills are unmatched, but you can’t win matches only by dribbling. We can’t match the Europeans’ or Australians’ fitness levels either. So how do we beat the competition? By being versatile. We need players who can play in multiple positions, play multiple roles, like we have all-rounders in cricket. Among the current lot, I think Sardara Singh is a good example. He is a multi-task player. And we have to embrace the best of both worlds, blend the
Indian and European styles. I think that’s what Jose Brasa is trying at the moment.

Results won’t come overnight. Building a team is a sustained process. The biggest problem with Indian hockey is that we expect instant results. As a result, there are too many chopping and changes in the team. And all earlier effort is wasted. Set a long-term target, give enough time to the coach to build his team, and I am sure the results will be there for all to see. But for that to happen, the game’s administrators need to change first. The question is, will they?