India has overwhelmingly disappointed sports lovers of the country, by going tamely down to a relatively inexperienced Germans on Wednesday. After watching them against the Aussies before that, I had no great expectations but was praying I should go wrong. But the opposite has occurred. India lost to Germany by an early goal. India had hell lot of time to equalize and outscore, but there seemed no urgency in them though.

Home tournaments are important ones largely because people expects them to perform reasonably if not exceedingly well. A couple of years ago, we fielded strong teams in both and men and women’s field at the Afro-Asian Games though that was a minor tournament.

Because, our people are victory starved and they hate see us losing at home. When the women team I coached and the men’s team won the Afro-Asian Games we got more than due appreciation from one and all. Even the media claimed it’s a resurgence of Indian hockey!

I was happy that I argued for strong women team for the Afro-Asian Games, though many others inside the women federation were bit hesitant, as the Asia Cup was just a month away. Our players moral went so up due to public adulation that they went on to win the Asia Cup also. This is how winning becomes a habit, and the sport get to the heart of public.

Our players, team management and the parent body Indian Hockey Federation do not seem to understand this home truth. Their approach collectively is not well founded, lacked scientific preparation and the results are there for everyone to see. Indian dream lay scattered at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium in Chennai. So much so we have become a butt of ridicule amidst the assembled august global hockey community.

Germans had not won any match till they met us. Like in the previous three Championst Trophies, they brought an experimental side this time too. Still they could defeat our full pledged team. Not just that. They made our forwards look like pedestrians. India had hardly a couple of goal-bearing moves; the stat on our hits at the rival’s goal are bare minimum for any side so far in the Champions Trophy. As a striker and leader Gagan Ajit doesn’t inspire any.

But for Bharat Chetri, who was deservedly declared Man of the Match, we could have ended up as that of Australia match. This Services youngster waited for long to showcase his talent, but his was the only ray of hope amidst the collapsed nine pins that India is. But unfortunately hockey is a team game, and one swallow does not a summer.

I don’t want to sing requiem for Indian hockey, but would advise the team to stay focused and win the next match against the Dutch, who are not at their best at this moment. If Indian can aim to be within top four, that will be decent target as of now.