In early 2019, a bunch of Indian gamers approached the then High-Performance Director of Hockey India, David John, who was confused and frightened.
It was a winter of discontent in Indian hockey. Months earlier, the group had been knocked out of the semi-finals on the 2018 Asian Games, thus lacking their likelihood to qualify immediately for the Tokyo Olympics, and some months later, they have been knocked out of the quarter-finals of the World Cup at dwelling.
Between these two tournaments, former captain Sardar Singh had retired and after two defeats, coach Harendra Singh was sacked.
The gamers have been astonished by the musical chairs across the teaching place: with each change got here a brand new enjoying fashion, totally different philosophies and extra uncertainty. So, in a prolonged assembly between the gamers and John, who is about to return as high-performance director, it was determined to put down some primary ideas inside which each future coach must work.
Broadly, it outlined the strategies of protection and assault of India. For instance, when with the ball, the group minimizes threat in defensive positions, transferring to overhaul opponents throughout turnovers, taking free hits quickly, and holding possession patiently when attacking; Off the ball, gamers would apply offensive presses to win possession again into the attacking third, denying time and house when defending and getting every participant behind the ball.
“The players wanted to play like this and we jointly came up with this philosophy. So even if the coaches change in future, the basic style of play will remain the same, but at the same time, give enough room for the coaches to work their way up,” mentioned John.
The Manpreet Singh-led Indian group ended the nation’s 41-year medal wait by profitable a bronze medal on the Tokyo Games earlier this 12 months. (file)
It was an essential step in the direction of fixing the nationwide group, whereas offering some form of recognition. Graham Reid, who joined as head coach in mid-2019, added nuance to that fashion, making the group stronger on the ball, whereas calmly taking India to their first podium place on the Olympics in 41 years. created a sense.
But over the previous few weeks, it has develop into clear that the so-called nationwide enjoying fashion has not handed down from the primary group. In its obsessive pursuit of an Olympic medal, India had significantly targeted on the core group of 30-odd gamers who’ve been in and across the nationwide group. However, the underside notch stays severely underpowered.
If there was one main achievement from the Junior World Cup, the place India completed fourth, and the Asian Champions Trophy, which ended final week, it’s that there’s an pressing want to vary the home construction of the nation, which has been badly hit by the pandemic. has been interrupted. , for the group to proceed its additional march in worldwide hockey.
In the later part of the Hockey India League, the present system is producing gamers who lack an understanding of defensive buildings, are unable to determine opponents’ offensive patterns or manage operating traces, poorly. Are off-the-ball strikes and can’t stand up to stress.
It has nothing to do with the pandemic; These are a few of the technical features that may be taught from an early age and honed in home competitions. However, in a structurally flawed system like India, neither is feasible.
Hockey India has undertaken a large mission to teach the coaches, replace them with trendy hockey and introduce them to the enjoying fashion of the nationwide group. But it’s nonetheless at a really early stage to evaluate any influence.
The fierce struggle between the 2 groups gave the group an ideal victory. #maininblue I
Photos from the group’s third/4th place conflict of Hero Men’s Asian Champions Trophy Dhaka 2021.📸#IndiaKaGame #heroact2021 pic.twitter.com/msjrfhj4Ou
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) December 22, 2021
weak home competitors
The drawback crippling Indian hockey is weak home competitors. India is likely one of the few elite hockey nations that doesn’t have its personal league. Once a 12 months, two dozen groups take part within the nationwide championships held for all age teams.
The just lately concluded Senior Championships confirmed the rationale why the competitors is now not taken so severely: the teaching strategies are archaic and the video games lack the tempo, depth and high quality seen within the home competitions of different established hockey nations. There is a scarcity. One can see why nationwide group coaches are hesitant to launch core group gamers for membership responsibility – they’re typically involved that the extent of gamers will fall in technical and health phrases.
Given that nationwide group gamers are scouted from these home competitions, it can be crucial that their customary improves. It can be extraordinarily troublesome for India to enhance upon its Tokyo bronze medal tally if it solely depends upon bringing in gamers from the present home construction.
The must revive the Hockey India League (HIL) or tournaments of an identical nature has been careworn earlier. HIL’s function in creating Indian gamers – nearly all who have been a part of the Tokyo group, belong to the HIL technology – has been monumental. It did not matter that the competitors lasted only a month or two. As captain Manpreet Singh as soon as mentioned, even a month at HIL helped him develop ‘a few years’ as a participant.
The publicity gained by enjoying below a few of the finest international coaches and enjoying with one of the best on this planet Indians improved their understanding of the sport and introduced it to such a stage that they have been lastly in a position to come to phrases with their very own id and magnificence of play.
For the following technology to proceed this, India should first present them a platform the place they’ll carry themselves to that stage.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
