The road ahead for the Indian men’s hockey team is a dicey one. While former head coach Roelant Oltmans recently received his marching orders from Hockey India, critics have questioned the decision. India will be playing in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar next year and the timing is not the best. Currently, the teams high performance director David John has been made the interim coach.
The sacking of Oltmans comes at a time when India hockey has a series of important tournaments to play. The Asia Cup is set to take place in Dhaka in October, followed by the Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar in December. Then next year sees the Commonwealth Games in Australia, followed by the Asian Games and the Asian Champions Trophy. The all-important World Cup also takes place in November 2018 and with just over a year left, is the men’s hockey team ready to adapt to a new style of coaching all together?
“Definitely there is going to be a new coach if we have removed one. For the time being, John is taking charge till we find a new coach. A new coach will already get a ready-made team. The boys are physically fit. They boys have the technical knowledge of the game and I don’t think the new coach will find it tough to implement his style of play. He will have enough time to work with the boys,” said BP Govinda, former hockey player and also a member of the selection committee to The Field.
Talking about the issues of adaptability and exposure, Govinda said, “In our days we used to only play the Olympics Games and Asian Games and then later on, the World Cup came. Here every six months the boys get to play an international tournament or some European tour. The exposure isn’t a concern at all because they are exposed. I don’t think the new coach will have any issues as such.”
Should an Indian coach take over?
With Oltmans being the fourth foreign coach to be shown the door in the last four years, the prospect of an Indian coach being hired seems to be a distinct possibility. “It depends on who we are selecting as coach. If they hire an Indian coach like Dhanraj Pillay or Harendra Singh then they know the style of play of the junior and senior players. Both are well settled and know the players weaknesses and strong points. Harendra has already been working with the junior players for the last three years already. If they pick him then all the issues are solved,” said former Olympian Rahul Singh.
However, if a foreign coach is appointed, Singh said that a year is sufficient time for a coach and players to bond.
“If they appoint a foreign coach, then it will be a difficulty. It is not that he will come and automatically gel with all the players. Still one year is a lot time for players to adjust. They do it in three-four months,” said the former Olympian.
“See, when we got Jose Brasa in 2010, since then we have been changing them. This means that we are failing to adapt to their technique. It is very clear. I don’t think so that our players are comfortable with the foreign coach. We should ideally hire foreign physios and conditioning coaches. Along with we can also keep an assistant foreign coach who can help in our attacking play,” said Singh, who represented India at the 1996 Olympics.
Talking about the upcoming tournaments, Singh said the focus should ideally be the Hockey World League Final and the World Cup. “Asia Cup is an easy task. In Asia, we don’t have any other team except India right now. Malaysia is coming up but then in bigger tournaments when you have Rupinder Pal and other big players then you can beat them easily. You have to think about Holland, Belgium, Germany, among others. We should focus on the World Cup and the Hockey World League Final,” said Rahul.
Should Oltmans have been sacked earlier?
Singh also suggested that Oltmans should have been shown the door after India’s disappointing showing at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in June. “The decision should have been taken decision immediately after the HWL semi-final. The new coach would have got more time to work with the team on the tours that followed,” said Singh.
The chairman of Hockey India’s selection committee, Harbinder Singh too was vocal about the sacking. “When you do not perform then you are bound to be sacked. That matter is clear. No doubt it will be a challenge for the new coach but we can’t change it. If we continued with the same process, then the duration would keep getting less. This was perfect. Whoever will take charge has enough time to work for the team. With four important tournaments coming up, the new coach has sufficient time,” said the chairman of the selection committee.
He added, “When the team was performing well everyone was appreciating it. If we have come sixth in the Hockey World League Semi-Final, imagine what would have happened in the Hockey World League Final and the World Cup, where is the motivation?”
He backed interim coach John to do a brilliant job with the team until a new coach is appointed. “John is just interim coach and we will try to replace him soon. We will put out the advertisement for the post soon and shortlist coaches. Then we will consult the Sports Authority of India and then make the selection,” said Harbinder.
The first tournament that the team will play under John will be the Australian Hockey League starting from September 28.