Indian hockey has been right here earlier than: at a juncture the place it has to decide on between stability and chaos.
In the previous decade alone, they’ve been at this crossroad a number of occasions: as soon as, after a triumphant 2014 Asian Games marketing campaign, then after a mediocre Rio Olympics, and later, with a sub-par 2018 World Cup. Each time, it shot itself within the foot, choosing disruption by sacking the coach and setting off a sequence of occasions that ensured the group by no means moved on.
One hopes they do not go down the identical path this time. Coach Graham Reid not solely ensured India’s return to the Olympic podium after 4 many years, but in addition offered a dose of stability, which Indian hockey was craving for.
India bowed down #HWC2023 After shedding to New Zealand in a penalty shootout 💔
🇮🇳IND 3-3 NZL🇳🇿
(SO: 4-5)#hockeyindia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2023 #hockeyworldcup2023 @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports activities @media_sai @blacksticks pic.twitter.com/EPcLlJhtrg– Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 22, 2023
This was certainly one of his conditions for accepting the India job in 2019. “In my initial letter that I wrote (to Hockey India), I said, ‘Look, I believe this team needs some stability and continuity, even if it is not spectacular, whatever it is.. ..if it’s stable, at least you give them a chance,” Red informed The Indian Express forward of the World Cup, the place his group suffered an embarrassing defeat in Sunday’s quarter-final play-off in opposition to New Zealand. Was mendacity.
It’s a distinct query if Reid – who left depressed after the loss and begging for an evidence – chooses to proceed or stroll away. But Hockey India ought to know that the coach shouldn’t be the issue. If something, Reid’s tenure has proved that if a coach is given the lengthy rope, he could make a giant distinction.
The change of coach will imply little time for the brand new man to take management of the group forward of the Asian Games, an Olympic qualifying event, in September. Failure to win the gold medal in Hangzhou will put the group underneath strain within the closing qualifying event early subsequent yr. Needless to say, this might utterly derail the group’s Paris 2024 marketing campaign.
Save That by Leon Hayward! #HWC2023
This match successful save is the JSP Foundation Moment of the Day on the primary day of the crossover on the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.#hockey par #Hockey #blacksticks @blacksticks @JSPFoundation pic.twitter.com/ax9p3fLyku
– International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) January 23, 2023
But all of this does not deter Reed from his missteps.
Later, there have been ample indicators that India was not prepared for this World Cup – the group had struggled within the Asian Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, been outplayed by Australia within the Commonwealth Games in addition to within the Test collection, and had combined outcomes. The end result was the Pro League.
During this, the dearth of Plan B within the group was telling. India are an open guide for different groups, who appear to have sorted out their counter-attacking fashion and modify their sport accordingly. Wales did this throughout a group-stage match, and so did New Zealand.
Questions should even be requested about their group choice – it’s nonetheless unclear why Simranjit Singh, one of many stars of the Tokyo Games, has been utterly sidelined; or why Manpreet Singh, who led the group ably within the final 4 years, was instantly stripped of the captaincy; Or why Harmanpreet Singh was burdened with three roles – the captain, the primary drag-flicker and the primary keeper.
Reid mentioned he has tried 31 of the 33 gamers within the core group in 2022. Broadly, it was to determine their greatest mixture for the World Cup. Clearly, it did not work out as they could have hoped.
want sturdy bench power
This state of affairs is indicative of the standard of gamers that India is producing. The hallmark of a terrific group is that they’ve not less than three choices for each state of affairs. India does not even have two good choices for many positions. At Lakshya, Krishna Pathak has just lately staked declare as a worthy successor to PR Sreejesh. Of the penalty nook choices, there’s a tangible drop in high quality if Harmanpreet – regardless of her misfiring – is not taking the flick.
In midfield, India have not even been in a position to exchange Hardik Singh, who regardless of being spectacular within the World Cup, is much from being a constant world-class participant. This was evident from the truth that India’s left flank was utterly paralyzed in opposition to New Zealand, blocking the attacking channels with the best and thus hampering India’s free-flowing counterattacking sport.
Indian gamers react after their loss in opposition to New Zealand on the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2023, in Bhubaneswar, Sunday, January 22, 2023. (PTI photograph)
There is a paucity of choices in each place and there was a dip in high quality each time gamers like Manpreet, Harmanpreet or Neelkant Singh are off the sphere. And the truth that only one participant from the 2021 Junior World Cup squad, Vivek Sagar Prasad, graduated to the senior squad for this competitors is one other indication that the standard of gamers being churned out shouldn’t be of the very best high quality.
After the Test collection in opposition to Australia, Reid was requested whether or not the fluctuating outcomes after Tokyo have been because of an absence of high quality from the bench. “… maybe that’s where we are,” he mentioned. He mentioned, ‘It does not matter a lot with a group like Australia. Their depth is basically good. That’s the place you need to try to go.
It must be clear by now that India is not going to go there till it develops a powerful home infrastructure. Among the highest hockey nations, India is the one nation that doesn’t have a league. Even New Zealand just lately launched a four-franchise competitors that provides its gamers a path to the nationwide group – and a platform for coaches and selectors to identify expertise.
The influence of the Hockey India League (HIL) can’t be measured in phrases – Olympic medals are proof sufficient. In the absence of such a league, there’s opacity in group choice, a bit arbitrariness too.
Definitely the National Championship. But a two-week-long competitors is hardly a super platform. And as former Indian captain MM Somaiya identified in his column in The Indian Express, the present format of the nationwide championship – breaking it down into 4 classes with gamers allowed to compete in just one – is flawed and has weakened the competitors. Have given.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey is in contact with the International Hockey Federation to discover a window for HIL. The former India skipper made it certainly one of his early priorities however discovering buyers can be a giant problem for the league, which was known as off after the 2017 version because the group house owners didn’t discover it financially sustainable .
But in a single type or the opposite, the return of HIL appears completely important for the long-term well being of Indian hockey.
India Hockey Head Coach Graham Reid speaks at a press convention forward of the observe session forward of the match in opposition to Wales through the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 at Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (PTI photograph)
decline in health ranges
HIL additionally uncovered the younger Indian gamers to a few of the greatest practices in world hockey and raised the health ranges of the gamers to beforehand unimaginable heights.
One of the highlights of the boys’s group over the previous 10 years has been its health. The revolution started in 2011 underneath former coach Michael Nobbs and physio David John and culminated in Tokyo 2021, the place India by no means misplaced their momentum regardless of enjoying eight matches over 13 days in excessive warmth. The credit score for this goes to bodily coach Robin Arkell and it may be seen as a failure of Hockey India that they might not cease him.
Under Arkell’s alternative, Mitch Pemberton, India misplaced not less than half a yard of their tempo. The group begins the match slowly and has been unable to keep up the identical vitality degree in all of the 4 quarters. Against England, Wales and New Zealand, the Indian gamers have been all the time a step behind their counterparts whereas chasing the ball, thus leaving their protection open to counterattacks.
If Hockey India decides to check out the function of the teaching employees, robust questions need to be requested of the health trainers, whose function turns into all of the extra vital contemplating how fast-paced the sport is.
💔Not the end result we wished. But our group will come again. #IndiaKaGame #HWC2023 pic.twitter.com/gJ76INwtZS
– Dilip Kumar Tirkey (@DilipTirkey) January 22, 2023
Wanted: Mental Trainer
Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanash, one of many sport’s modern-day greats, summed up neatly what separates good groups from mediocre ones. Talking about the necessity to change into psychologically sturdy, Vanash mentioned forward of India’s match in opposition to New Zealand: “If you have a look at all the massive groups right here, everybody is basically the identical. Technically, Tactically, bodily… however then mentally, it’s a must to make that further change.
Reid predicted one thing comparable after the match. “As far as observe or coaching is anxious, we do what all different groups do. I’ve been on this sport for a very long time and I do know what different groups are doing. The silver bullet is, I feel (is) mentally,” he mentioned.
Reid mentioned that in contrast to the ladies’s group, which had a psychologist hooked up to them throughout their nationwide camp, the boys’s group has by no means had a psychological coach. For a group that incessantly cracks underneath strain, he may very well be one of many keys to fixing the puzzle.
“We probably need to do something different,” Reid mentioned. “After that, we will work on how we can get a mental coach involved. I think that is an important part of the team’s future.” It is as much as Hockey India to make sure that Reid stays part of that future.
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Talent pipeline drying up?
31: The variety of gamers Graham Reid mentioned he tried in 2022 out of 33 males within the core group. Still, India appear to lack choices off the bench at numerous positions.
1: The variety of gamers within the 2021 Junior World Cup squad who have been a part of this World Cup is one other indication that the standard of gamers being groomed is less than the specified degree.
Citation
“As far as observe or coaching is anxious, we do what all different groups do. I’ve been on this sport for a very long time and I do know what different groups are doing. If something, silver Ki Bullet, I feel (is) mentally.
Graham Reid, a psychological coach on the necessity to transfer on
quarterfinal line-up
Tuesday: 4.30 pm: Australia vs Spain; 7 pm: Belgium vs New Zealand
Wednesday: 4.30 pm: Netherlands vs South Korea; 7 PM: England vs Germany
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
