Indian hockey team clinch the test series against Black Sticks
Building on the successful European tour where they defeated France and Spain, the Indian men’s hockey team eked out a 1–1 draw against the New Zealand Black Sticks in the fourth and final hockey test in Christchurch on October 11, to win the series 2–1.
With this result, the Indian team finished the series with one loss, two wins and one draw. This so because after losing the first match of the series 0–2, the Indians came back strongly to win the next two matches by margins of 3–1 and 3–2 held in Nelson and Christchurch respectively.
Chief coach and director of high performance for Indian Hockey team, Roelant Oltmans, analysed the final match and noted, “Even though today was not our best game, we are quite happy with the overall result and with what we have achieved during the South Island tour. Now our boys are eagerly looking forward to the Hockey World League (HWL) Finals to be held in India in November–December.”
But before that India will play host to world number one ranked Australians in a test series scheduled to give good practice to both teams for the upcoming HWL Finals.
Top five conundrums
Even though the team has produced some good results in the past 15–20 months—including wining the Asian gold, Commonwealth silver, Champions Trophy semi-final appearance, and clinching the test series in Australia—an honest reflection of India's current world standing is what happened at the HWL semi-finals in Belgium in July. There the team finished fourth, behind Australia, Belgium and England.
These three teams along with the Netherlands and Germany, which form the world's top five teams, appear technically better and structurally more sound than India in present form.
Overall, the Indian hockey team, though ranked eighth in the world with Argentina and New Zealand above it, seems at par or slightly superior to rest of the teams except the top five.
So with Rio Olympics due in August next year, newly-appointed chief coach Oltmans has to find a way to strengthen India's attacking prowess, tighten defence tactics, and most importantly, improve the team's efficiency in winning penalty corners and converting them.
Issues of player indiscipline, groupism, and disharmony—with the Gurbaj Singh's nine-month suspension latest in a series of episodes—need to be sorted out too.
Also, it is important that Oltmans is given time and free hand, unlike his predecessors, to mould the team as per his coaching philosophy. He is the fifth foreign coach appointed by Sports Authority of India on the recommendations of Hockey India (HI) ever since HI took over the reins of the game in the country in 2009. All his predecessors—Paul Van Ass, Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs and Terry Walsh, had left the Indian team's coaching job on an unceremonious note.
Indian team has and will always play as one: Sardar Singh
Indian men hockey team captain and one of the greats of this generation, Sardar Singh, talked to Gaurav Sharma after winning the test series against New Zealand in Christchurch on October 11. He spoke about the impact of Hockey India League (HIL), allegations of groupism in the team, and the improvement the team has shown in mental toughness. Below are the excerpts:
Saddened by the apathy that Indians have towards our national game hockey, former India captain Dhanraj Pillay once remarked that he would never advise his son to take up the game. The current Indian team also came up with an advertisement in June, just before leaving for the Hockey World League (HWL) semi-finals, hinting the same. Do you think the situation hasn't improved between now and then?
No, definitely things have improved a lot in the last five years or so, especially with the introduction of HIL. We shouldn't compare with cricket or the IPL. But compared to Dhanraj paji's time, I would say that hockey attracts a lot more attention nowadays. Hockey players do have recognition, fame and financial security these days. The sport is still popular in rural areas. We just need to bring back the cities into our fold.
But I must add that while things have improved, it can be much better. The advertisement we came out with before the HWL semi-finals was an appeal of sorts in that direction. We would like hockey to become the most popular sport in India again.
So you think that HIL has changed the game in India?
Most definitely. In terms of infrastructure, exposure of Indian players to international standards, and taking the game to the masses, the three editions of the HIL has been a huge success in my opinion. A good indication of any event's success these days is its popularity in the cyberspace, and the number of likes YouTube videos of HIL third edition gathered has been a source of inspiration for us.
But infrastructure-wise, are we at par with the top European nations?
I wouldn't say at par, but sufficient enough. See, I have played in the Netherlands, where they have at least 1,500 good international quality Astro Turfs. We can't match that as yet. But we can make the best use of what we have got. Hockey India, too, is taking a lot of initiatives in this regard. Like the new Blue and Green Synthetic Hockey Turf at Sports Authority of India Southern Centre in Bangalore. This is being built especially so that we can prepare for various international events including the Rio Olympics. I am confident that we are moving in the right direction in developing hockey infrastructure in the country.
Just after the debacle of London Olympics, you said in an interview to NDTV's Walk the Talk programme that the team lacked mental toughness. You also argued for a mental conditioning coach to help the players. How has been the progress on that front in the last three years?
Yes, I remember the interview and am glad to say that things have improved a lot. Our previous coach Terry Walch paid a lot of emphasis on mental aspect of the game and had extensive one-to-one sessions with all the players, which helped us a lot. So you can see that unlike earlier when we use to give away last-minute goals, we have been scoring such goals ourselves in recent times. Like here in the third test in Christchurch, Dharamvir scored the winning goal with less than five minutes on the clock. With today's test being a draw, that goal effectively decided the series.
Moreover, our present coach Oltmans is already in talks with the association to get us a mental conditioning coach soon so that the boys are in perfect shape to handle the pressure of the Olympics.
Finally, the Gurbaj Singh episode has led to speculations about groupism and factionism in the Indian team. What's your take on the issue?
I strongly deny the rumours that there are fissures and groups in the team. The Indian hockey team has and will always play as one. In fact, this is one of the reasons we have been playing reasonably well in the last year-and-a-half. As far as Gurbaj is concerned, of course we will miss him. But we will have to make the best of this situation. We have developed a pretty solid group of 27–28 players who are good enough to play for India. I am sure we will find the combination for the right flank (where Gurbaj used to play) soon.
Don't worry I will be the coach till Rio at least, assures Oltmans
Gaurav Sharma also caught up with Roelant Oltmans, Director, High Performance and Chief Coach of Indian hockey team after the Christchurch's final test match. He talked about the relationship of foreign coaches with Hockey India, the Gurbaj Singh episode, and the future of Indian hockey. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
Foreign coaches have had a sweet and sour relationship with Hockey India ever since it was formed in 2009, with Paul Van Ass, Jose Brasa, Terry Walch and Michael Hobbs, all being unceremoniously shown the door. Is this good for Indian hockey?
Ideally no. Any coach would like to have a longer stable reign to produce the desired results. But all the coaches you have mentioned left for different reasons. So there is no pattern here or any symptomatic condition. Above all, I can only talk about myself. I have an excellent working relationship with Hockey India and the players. So don't worry, I'll remain the coach of Indian hockey team till at least Rio Olympics.
Ex-Indian coaches’ recent reports raise a lot of questions about Indian team's morale and our preparations for Rio. What's your plan for the team to recover from the Gurbaj Singh controversy?
Oh, that's just their individual assessment. I have been involved with this team for more than three years now during my role as the director of High Performance, and I don't have any issues with any of the players. Nor do I see any groupism or indiscipline in the team. As regards to Gurbaj Singh's suspension, it's not a good sign for any team if it is dependent on any one player. And I can assure you that this Indian team is not. We have a solid bunch of talented players who can be the best in the world. We have been trying different combinations at the right flank ever since Gurbaj's departure from our scheme of things, and I am confident that we will find the suitable combination very soon.
Sub-continental hockey was always known for its flair and attractiveness. With a string of foreign coaches now, don't you think we are just trying to imitate European style of hockey, which may not be good for us in the long run?
What's the use of playing with that flair if you don't win anything? I have always maintained that Indian hockey must change while retaining its natural attractiveness and skills-set. That's what we are trying to do—fuse Indian dribbling skills with European style of short-passing and close man-to-man marking. We are not trying to imitate the Europeans, rather coming up with our own modified version.
Finally, are we ready for Rio?
Right now, I can say we are ready for the Hockey World League Finals, which are due in just under two months. Let's take every tournament one-by-one.
Building on the successful European tour where they defeated France and Spain, the Indian men’s hockey team eked out a 1–1 draw against the New Zealand Black Sticks in the fourth and final hockey test in Christchurch on October 11, to win the series 2–1.
With this result, the Indian team finished...
Building on the successful European tour where they defeated France and Spain, the Indian men’s hockey team eked out a 1–1 draw against the New Zealand Black Sticks in the fourth and final hockey test in Christchurch on October 11, to win the series 2–1.
With this result, the Indian team finished the series with one loss, two wins and one draw. This so because after losing the first match of the series 0–2, the Indians came back strongly to win the next two matches by margins of 3–1 and 3–2 held in Nelson and Christchurch respectively.
Chief coach and director of high performance for Indian Hockey team, Roelant Oltmans, analysed the final match and noted, “Even though today was not our best game, we are quite happy with the overall result and with what we have achieved during the South Island tour. Now our boys are eagerly looking forward to the Hockey World League (HWL) Finals to be held in India in November–December.”
But before that India will play host to world number one ranked Australians in a test series scheduled to give good practice to both teams for the upcoming HWL Finals.
Top five conundrums
Even though the team has produced some good results in the past 15–20 months—including wining the Asian gold, Commonwealth silver, Champions Trophy semi-final appearance, and clinching the test series in Australia—an honest reflection of India's current world standing is what happened at the HWL semi-finals in Belgium in July. There the team finished fourth, behind Australia, Belgium and England.
These three teams along with the Netherlands and Germany, which form the world's top five teams, appear technically better and structurally more sound than India in present form.
Overall, the Indian hockey team, though ranked eighth in the world with Argentina and New Zealand above it, seems at par or slightly superior to rest of the teams except the top five.
So with Rio Olympics due in August next year, newly-appointed chief coach Oltmans has to find a way to strengthen India's attacking prowess, tighten defence tactics, and most importantly, improve the team's efficiency in winning penalty corners and converting them.
Issues of player indiscipline, groupism, and disharmony—with the Gurbaj Singh's nine-month suspension latest in a series of episodes—need to be sorted out too.
Also, it is important that Oltmans is given time and free hand, unlike his predecessors, to mould the team as per his coaching philosophy. He is the fifth foreign coach appointed by Sports Authority of India on the recommendations of Hockey India (HI) ever since HI took over the reins of the game in the country in 2009. All his predecessors—Paul Van Ass, Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs and Terry Walsh, had left the Indian team's coaching job on an unceremonious note.
Indian team has and will always play as one: Sardar Singh
Indian men hockey team captain and one of the greats of this generation, Sardar Singh, talked to Gaurav Sharma after winning the test series against New Zealand in Christchurch on October 11. He spoke about the impact of Hockey India League (HIL), allegations of groupism in the team, and the improvement the team has shown in mental toughness. Below are the excerpts:
Saddened by the apathy that Indians have towards our national game hockey, former India captain Dhanraj Pillay once remarked that he would never advise his son to take up the game. The current Indian team also came up with an advertisement in June, just before leaving for the Hockey World League (HWL) semi-finals, hinting the same. Do you think the situation hasn't improved between now and then?
No, definitely things have improved a lot in the last five years or so, especially with the introduction of HIL. We shouldn't compare with cricket or the IPL. But compared to Dhanraj paji's time, I would say that hockey attracts a lot more attention nowadays. Hockey players do have recognition, fame and financial security these days. The sport is still popular in rural areas. We just need to bring back the cities into our fold.
But I must add that while things have improved, it can be much better. The advertisement we came out with before the HWL semi-finals was an appeal of sorts in that direction. We would like hockey to become the most popular sport in India again.
So you think that HIL has changed the game in India?
Most definitely. In terms of infrastructure, exposure of Indian players to international standards, and taking the game to the masses, the three editions of the HIL has been a huge success in my opinion. A good indication of any event's success these days is its popularity in the cyberspace, and the number of likes YouTube videos of HIL third edition gathered has been a source of inspiration for us.
But infrastructure-wise, are we at par with the top European nations?
I wouldn't say at par, but sufficient enough. See, I have played in the Netherlands, where they have at least 1,500 good international quality Astro Turfs. We can't match that as yet. But we can make the best use of what we have got. Hockey India, too, is taking a lot of initiatives in this regard. Like the new Blue and Green Synthetic Hockey Turf at Sports Authority of India Southern Centre in Bangalore. This is being built especially so that we can prepare for various international events including the Rio Olympics. I am confident that we are moving in the right direction in developing hockey infrastructure in the country.
Just after the debacle of London Olympics, you said in an interview to NDTV's Walk the Talk programme that the team lacked mental toughness. You also argued for a mental conditioning coach to help the players. How has been the progress on that front in the last three years?
Yes, I remember the interview and am glad to say that things have improved a lot. Our previous coach Terry Walch paid a lot of emphasis on mental aspect of the game and had extensive one-to-one sessions with all the players, which helped us a lot. So you can see that unlike earlier when we use to give away last-minute goals, we have been scoring such goals ourselves in recent times. Like here in the third test in Christchurch, Dharamvir scored the winning goal with less than five minutes on the clock. With today's test being a draw, that goal effectively decided the series.
Moreover, our present coach Oltmans is already in talks with the association to get us a mental conditioning coach soon so that the boys are in perfect shape to handle the pressure of the Olympics.
Finally, the Gurbaj Singh episode has led to speculations about groupism and factionism in the Indian team. What's your take on the issue?
I strongly deny the rumours that there are fissures and groups in the team. The Indian hockey team has and will always play as one. In fact, this is one of the reasons we have been playing reasonably well in the last year-and-a-half. As far as Gurbaj is concerned, of course we will miss him. But we will have to make the best of this situation. We have developed a pretty solid group of 27–28 players who are good enough to play for India. I am sure we will find the combination for the right flank (where Gurbaj used to play) soon.
Don't worry I will be the coach till Rio at least, assures Oltmans
Gaurav Sharma also caught up with Roelant Oltmans, Director, High Performance and Chief Coach of Indian hockey team after the Christchurch's final test match. He talked about the relationship of foreign coaches with Hockey India, the Gurbaj Singh episode, and the future of Indian hockey. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
Foreign coaches have had a sweet and sour relationship with Hockey India ever since it was formed in 2009, with Paul Van Ass, Jose Brasa, Terry Walch and Michael Hobbs, all being unceremoniously shown the door. Is this good for Indian hockey?
Ideally no. Any coach would like to have a longer stable reign to produce the desired results. But all the coaches you have mentioned left for different reasons. So there is no pattern here or any symptomatic condition. Above all, I can only talk about myself. I have an excellent working relationship with Hockey India and the players. So don't worry, I'll remain the coach of Indian hockey team till at least Rio Olympics.
Ex-Indian coaches’ recent reports raise a lot of questions about Indian team's morale and our preparations for Rio. What's your plan for the team to recover from the Gurbaj Singh controversy?
Oh, that's just their individual assessment. I have been involved with this team for more than three years now during my role as the director of High Performance, and I don't have any issues with any of the players. Nor do I see any groupism or indiscipline in the team. As regards to Gurbaj Singh's suspension, it's not a good sign for any team if it is dependent on any one player. And I can assure you that this Indian team is not. We have a solid bunch of talented players who can be the best in the world. We have been trying different combinations at the right flank ever since Gurbaj's departure from our scheme of things, and I am confident that we will find the suitable combination very soon.
Sub-continental hockey was always known for its flair and attractiveness. With a string of foreign coaches now, don't you think we are just trying to imitate European style of hockey, which may not be good for us in the long run?
What's the use of playing with that flair if you don't win anything? I have always maintained that Indian hockey must change while retaining its natural attractiveness and skills-set. That's what we are trying to do—fuse Indian dribbling skills with European style of short-passing and close man-to-man marking. We are not trying to imitate the Europeans, rather coming up with our own modified version.
Finally, are we ready for Rio?
Right now, I can say we are ready for the Hockey World League Finals, which are due in just under two months. Let's take every tournament one-by-one.
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