The last time the Indian hockey team came home with an Olympic medal was in Moscow in 1980. And then came the drought, which has lasted for over three decades. Now, with the London Games only a few weeks away, the question on everyone’s minds is: will that drought end? Winning a gold medal won’t be an easy feat; after all, India is grouped with defending champions Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, New Zealand and Belgium in its pool at the Olympics. With the exception of Belgium, all teams are ranked higher than India (at number 10). The 12 teams in each tournament have been divided into two pools of six based on world rankings, and each team will play every other team in its pool. The top two teams in each pool will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of those matches going head-to-head for the gold medal.
So, what can one expect from the Indian hockey team at the Games?
The chances of winning a gold medal at the Olympics, says former captain Viren Rasquinha, are “zero”. Adopting a more “realistic” approach, Rasquinha adds, “Let’s not forget, we didn’t even qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics!”
The team, he says, is relying on the performance at the short corners where ace drag-flickers Sandeep Singh and V R Raghunath can produce “great results”. Penalty corner conversion, it seems, would be the key to the team’s success at the Olympics. A core area of weakness or “improvement”, adds Rasquinha, is the defence of short corners. “We also need better performance in the finishing circle to score more goals.”
All hopes are riding on what former Olympian Jagbir Singh, who also had a short stint as a coach to the team in 2004, calls the “S factor” — the performances of mid-fielder Sardar Singh, drag-flicker Sandeep Singh and forward Shivendra Singh. “It is a blessing in disguise that we will open the Games by playing against Holland (the Netherlands),” he says, “because they play open hockey”. If the team wins against Holland, feels Jagbir Singh, “chances of victory will increase”.
The only pitfall for the team, he adds, is if the team resigns to play a “stereotypical, predictable defence”. Praising coach Michael Nobbs for his training techniques, he adds, “Teams like Australia and New Zealand play a similar style of ‘attacking hockey’ — and there is no one better qualified than Nobbs to counter it.” Nobbs, Jagbir Singh feels, has brought the team together, he makes every player believe in himself, and, most importantly, expects him to deliver when required — a quality that has become an asset for the team.
The Indian team, under Nobbs’s charge, has won the Asian Champions Trophy, finished second in the Champions Challenge, topped the Olympic qualifiers and won the bronze in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this year, where the field included five teams India expects to play in its group at the London Games.
The only secret to victory during the Olympics, according to Jagbir Singh, is a “surprising and successful strategy”. Commenting on the great expectations from penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh, he adds, “If we are relying on the penalty corner, we must ensure all penalties are converted into goals! I expect better performance and planning off the field, than on it.”
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In comparison to competition, admits former Indian hockey player and coach Joaquim Carvalho, “defence is the Indian team’s biggest weakness.” Lamenting the lack of “fast-moving defenders”, he adds, “the midfield comprising ‘Sardara’ (Sardar Singh) and Gurbaj Singh will face a lot of pressure as they might have to carry the load of deep defence too.” Talismanic ‘Sardara’ will lead the midfield, India’s strongest area, in company of Manpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra and Gurbaj Singh.
In its quest for Olympic gold, qualifying for the semi-finals must be the priority for the team and Nobbs, though it seems like a “tall order”, adds Carvalho. “Anything can happen in the finals.” Also, he says, the team’s performance at the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament must not be considered a benchmark. “Teams like Germany and Australia have better fitness levels, the pace of the game is faster. India must not be complacent. One swallow does not make a summer, after all,” he adds.
“Since our deep defence is weak, we must be solid in our attack and the penalty corner conversion rate should be spot-on,” he insists. “The attackers in the forward line must be consistent.” Though the chances of a gold medal are slim, says Carvalho, “If the team can win the first three matches, earn six points, then we do stand a chance. Else, it will be very difficult.”
Journalist and author of various books on hockey, such as Nation’s Pride: Dhanraj Pillay, K Arumugum says, “The Indian team is inexperienced... they have not played against top rivals like Holland and Germany often.”
While the Indian hockey team has adopted the Asian style of playing hockey — one which is oriented towards attacking all the time and is more entertaining for spectators —, it has a poor record in scoring goals despite dominance on the field. The European style is a more patient form of hockey, but precise in moves and techniques, relying on counter attacks for goals. “Indian forwards also waste their chances inside the circle and are clueless about how to get penalty corners. Scoring is a problem area for India,” adds Arumugum.
Even the current form of teams like New Zealand and Germany is far better than that of India, says Arumugum who is also the editor of www.stick2hockey.com. “We [the Indian hockey team] have in the last one year narrowed down the margin of defeat, but that is not a guarantee for success. Close matches are expected against South Korea and Germany,” he adds. “A draw against Germany or Holland will boost India’s chances of making it to the semi-finals. Korea is a young and inexperienced side, beating them should not be a problem if chances are availed,” he believes.
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“We have a weak, bleak chance to win against teams like Australia and Germany,” says former hockey player Didar Singh. “But,” he adds after a pause, “we will give them a great takkar (fight) and our efforts will produce great results.”
Speaking about his brother Sardar Singh, Didar Singh admits, “For Sardara, every match, every championship is a different one and he always has his eyes on the target.”
The strength of the team, believes Didar Singh, is its forward line-up with players such as Shivendra Singh and S V Sunil who are capable of clinching penalty corners.
“If we optimise our forward line tactics and penalty corner goals, our chances will go up,” he adds. “All in all, though a gold medal looks difficult, India will play good, entertaining matches!”
