ANGUISH and shame gave way to despair and darkness in the run up to the hockey World Cup. The shame of not qualifying for the Beijing Olympics by losing in the qualifiers saw the rot set in deeper when a players revolt over pay put Indian hockey in disquiet and a tailspin that no one expected Indian hockey to emerge out of.
But when the same band of rebellious boys exorcised the ghosts of Hassan Sardar and Pakistan’s famous victory on the same National Stadium pitch in a 4-1 drubbing of Pakistan in the very first game of the Hero Honda World Cup, just about everything was forgiven.
As people came in droves to support the Indian team at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium since the tournament got underway, one thing is clear that hockey if supported adequately can still deliver. Sponsors – Hero Honda, SAIL and lately Shree Cement – have come forward to support the game. The crowds have come forward to bolster the confidence of the players. Remember that India is ranked number 12 on the FIH list and it needed to pick itself up from bootstarp level. I can be a cynic and argue that India could have done much better if it had manned its leaking like a sieve defence better.
But the biggest takeaway from the World Cup was the never say die attitude of the players who hung in there virtually till the end in each and every game. Yes, there are weaknesses and glitches galore. The bruising style of fast paced hockey that leading teams play leaves very little recovery time and manoeuvreability. Look at South Africa, they were thrashed 12-0 by Australia and yet they vanquished Pakistan. Even against India, they were all over us for most part of the game.
The rolling substitution, the way top teams have two strikers at each end of the goal post in a melee, the variations during penalty corners, the use of the scoop as a playmaker; the game has evolved considerably. It has become attractive and dullness has been replaced by surgical strikes which result in goals galore. Scorelines have changed and it is clear that adroit stickwork still has a place in the game, as long as the player doesn’t hang on for too long to the ball.
India will probably end up either at 7 or 8 in this World Cup which is commendable. Given that if we weren’t the hosts, we would have had to qualify for the tournament. Pakistan did. So, for the 12th ranked side, it is a good beginning. I reckon that India needs to persist with Jose Brasa, he is obviously doing something right. You couldn’t have expected a miracle from this side and Brasa in the short span of time he has spent with the side. Brasa will need time to impart his thought processes. The players will need to understand these modern nuances. They will require a confluence of time, effort and energy.
Moreover, they will need to be supported, for India has two great opportunities to get back to Camelot. The Commonwealth Games has a hockey event which India strangely has not won. This will be immediately followed by the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Former players will crib and grouch over India’s performance levels, but understand the complexities involved. There are no pushovers in contemporary hockey. Yes, Baras used to coach the Spanish women’s hockey team, but he has shown some spark in the Indian hockey side. The players can play, that is for sure, it is a question of imbibing modern techniques and stylistics to put the play patterns in sync with the sheer pace and speed of contemporary hockey. It requires skill sets which outdated mindsets can just not grapple with.
I would argue that the staging of the World Cup in India is a God sent and for this one needs to thank Leonardo Negre, the FIH boss. Hockey has just got a booster shot. The fanatical support for the team at the National Stadium was kinetic. The crowds willed the players to show off their prowess and skills and most times Indian players responded. Unfortunate tactical errors in defence notwithstanding and some poor finishing aside, Indian hockey has been reoved from ventilator support.
Time for the Blue Sticks to show off their game. Next stop Commonwealth Games at the same venue. parallely if we can get Hockey India cleaned up and financial support forthcoming for the team to play some competitive tournaments, then it will be a job well done. For it is obvious that the hoi polloi is willing to phir see dil do hockey ko.
