New Delhi: Expert advice overflows in the Indian camp these days, but whether the presence of as many as four coaches of international repute helps India bridge the gap is what will be analysed with keen interest over the next 10 days at Hockey World League (HWL) Final.
Newly appointed chief coach Terry Walsh has a tough first assignment, but there's enough local help at hand. MK Kaushik and Vasudev Baskaran are assisting Walsh and overseeing the three is Hockey India's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans. The quartet may sound oversized for a normal coaching bench, but all complaints will be hushed if India land a few knock-out punches over the coming days.
Scrolling the finger through the team names gives an idea of the enormity of challenge India face. Germany, Australia, Netherlands, England, Belgium, New Zealand and Argentina: top five ranked FIH teams, Olympic champions, European champions, Pan American champions; the hockey world will be present in its full might at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
In hindsight, it provides India the perfect platform to size themselves up for the big one - the World Cup at The Hague, Netherlands, later this year. And India are lucky to get that opportunity, for they are not playing this event on merit.
The Indian team, ranked 10th, failed to qualify for the Final, finishing sixth at the HWL Semi-Final held at Rotterdam. Top three teams and a highest-ranked fourth-place finisher from the two Semi-Finals at Rotterdam and Johor Bahru progressed to the summit clash. But since India were the hosts, they had a seat reserved, completing the eight-team line-up.
Indian hockey has seen more valleys than peaks since their last Olympic medal in 1980, and this tournament will act as another gauge metre for a side that, despite having sparks like Sardar Singh, has failed to consistently perform as a unit to challenge the European and Australian powerhouses.
Under the spotlight will be India's defence that appears to have gathered some muscle in the form of VR Raghunath and Rupinderpal Singh, but they too have been guilty of leaving gaping holes and committing elementary errors that have cost India dearly in the past.
The forwards will be under the scanner for their trapping, ball-receiving and finishing skills, which have been frustratingly below par at times and not befitting of an international team that has a more than adequate coaching set-up in place.
The Spotlight will thus also be on the coaches, with HI looking to put a stop at the musical chairs and get a man for the long term. Will Walsh be that man, we will get a glimpse of that over the next 10 days.
The format is such that each of the eight teams are assured of a quarter-final after going through a league phase, where the teams are divided into two pools of four each. India are clubbed with Germany, England and New Zealand in Pool A. On the other side of the draw are Australia, Netherlands, Belgium and Argentina in Pool B.
India start off against England on Friday, followed by games against New Zealand and Netherlands, respectively, before the quarter-finals that will be played on January 15.
Comments
0 comment