Hours after their shock defeat to France, some junior gamers from India bought a hyperlink to an e-meeting. Their host was Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Harmanpreet Singh. Watching from the stands the group scored 5 targets towards an unruly opponent, the defender-cum-drag-flicker had produced a file of types.
Next door, India skipper Manpreet Singh Jr was in dialog with group captain Vivek Sagar Prasad on management and technique.
These weren’t disaster talks. Instead, there was an off-the-cuff alternate of concepts between the veterans who had been there, and the rookies for whom it was the start of worldwide hockey, aside from Prasad who was additionally in Tokyo.
The relationship between India’s senior and junior groups has developed over the months. In the start, the Colts ‘revered’ the ‘seniors’ by noticing the distinction. Then, they turned to coaching companions when the pandemic hit. And now, they idolize bronze medalists.
Prasad is stunned by the best way Manpreet takes the group alongside. Drag-flicker Sanjay Kumar, who has already bagged a few hat-tricks, has modeled himself on Harmanpreet. Goalkeepers Pawan and Prashant Chauhan look as much as PR Sreejesh and ahead Arijit Singh Hundal is in awe of Akashdeep Singh, who was not in Tokyo however stays an integral a part of the group.
Now, in Bhubaneswar, the heroes of the Under-21 gamers have become their analysts and mentors. During all of the matches India’s colts have performed on this World Cup, senior members of the group have sat on the stands behind the aim and dutifully made notes. Manpreet says, “It is a studying expertise for us as effectively. “We’re analyzing the games from the stands and after it’s over, we’re giving our feedback to the players.”
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 25, 2021
returning favor
In a means, additionally it is returning the favor.
Both the senior and junior groups had a far-than-desirable build-up for his or her respective marquee occasions of the yr. For a big a part of the final two years, they have been confined contained in the Southern Center of the Sports Authority of India in Bangalore, dwelling and coaching collectively.
As the Olympics drew to a detailed and the nationwide group was barely getting any match follow attributable to journey restrictions, the junior group become a simulation machine of types for them.
During coaching, the coaches will type an under-21 facet line-up and play like India’s opponents on the Tokyo Games: New Zealand one week, Australia the subsequent; Argentina every week, adopted by Belgium. They additionally performed six matches towards one another, and the Colts gained one.
With this the method of mentoring began. “Whenever we got something, we would talk to him. If they had any problem, they reached out to us,” says Harmanpreet. “They just needed some fine-tuning, not a lot of work. Overall, they’re all great.”
After India returned from Tokyo with a bronze medal, the group’s senior sources have been transferred to the junior facet. Head coach Graham Reid was requested to take the facet and the gamers started guiding their juniors individually.
Even although each the groups are in Bhubaneswar – with the senior group getting ready for subsequent month’s Asian Champions Trophy – they’re dwelling in separate bio-bubbles, which suggests bodily interplay will not be attainable. “So, we are in touch through online meetings,” says Harmanpreet.
Floodlight Hockey Stadium @KIITUniversity Look stunning this night because the junior and senior males’s groups from Belgium and India respectively held their follow classes.@FIH_hockey @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/IuZZw3ouVZ
— Achyuta Samanta (@achyuta_samanta) November 24, 2021
alternate concepts
The vice-captain of the senior group, who was a member of the 2016 Junior World Cup successful group, has been guiding defenders and drag-flickers, discovering methods to enhance his place and ending. He spoke to 2 freemen – the participant who floats between his group’s protection and midfield – particularly, Sanjay and Yashdeep Siwach.
“Even I play as a freeman, so whatever I saw from the stands, I told them. I spoke to him in detail about how he needed to be within the danger line, aligning with the goalpost, so that he could stop the dangerous deliveries,” says Harmanpreet.
Against France, their solely robust match within the group stage, India intercepted too many passes however weren’t capable of management the ball, which went out of play, thus giving possession. Harmanpreet spoke with the remainder of the defenders on her place – particularly in the course of the outlet, the primary cross that’s performed from behind to restart the sport – and the marking.
And he gave drag-flickers tips about methods to beat the primary rusher to take the flick and place earlier than ending. “Harman keeps telling us new skills that we can learn, the way we can apply it. His ideas have really helped us,” says Sanjay, a well known drag-flicker from the Junior group.
not the primary time
This will not be the primary time that the senior gamers of the group are serving to the juniors. In 2016, goalkeeper PR Sreejesh mentored two under-21 mentors earlier than and in the course of the World Cup, which got here in helpful. In reality, one of many gamers from that facet – Krishan Pathak – is now India’s common and would be the group’s primary goalkeeper within the Asian Champions Trophy, for which Sreejesh has been rested.
For senior gamers, analyzing junior sides from the stands has helped them enhance their information of their opponents, on condition that the fashion and sample utilized by most groups within the World Cup is just like that of their senior sides. Huh. “So looking at him, we also understand the areas where we can improve,” says Manpreet, who captained India within the 2013 Junior World Cup.
After the group’s loss to France, the largest upset of the Junior World Cup to this point, Manpreet had a right away dialog with Prasad. He did not have an effect on efficiency, however careworn the significance of constructing positive nobody throughout the group was pointing a finger.
“I told him we could have done better. But that was not the time to blame anyone or point fingers. He had to lead the team on the field, make sure the players communicate with each other and show unity,” Says Manpreet. “He needs to believe in himself.”
Manpreet is aware of. Faith led the group to the rostrum in Tokyo.
And because the Colts put together for the largest check of their nascent profession, dealing with Belgium in Wednesday’s quarter-finals, they may know the seniors have their backs.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
