IHF must act now

Cedric D'Souza

The Games are over -- and what a fabulous spectacle of hockey the final between The Netherlands and Korea was. It had everything that is associated with the modern game -- passion, tension and goals. But for India, it was once again the story of missing the bus.

Before the team left for the Olympics, there was a lot of media hype about the team's showing. It led to great expectations of the team returning with a medal. Now, not having achieved the objective, there is sure going to be witch-hunting and castigating once the team returns. This is our normal policy when expected results go awry.

Over the next few weeks we will hear excuses like we had bad luck and missed a lot of chances time. Without undermining coach Bhaskaran, I feel these excuses have been perennial problems that have plagued our sport and will continue unless remedial measures are taken immediately. It is vital that the Indian Hockey Federation and all concerned with the team sits down and takes stock of what really went wrong, with the sole aim of planning for the future and not finding scapegoats for the debacle Down Under.

Yes, we have to do it right now and not procrastinate under some pretext or the other. Having said this, there are quite a few positive points that could be surmised from our teams' performance. However, before going further, I would like to quote what our captain Ramandeep Singh had to say when it was suggested that his team was better than those of the past. He reportedly said: "This team is as good or as bad as the teams of the past (maybe, referring to the 1996 Atlanta Games' team), the only difference is that this team played as a unit." Having been there at Atlanta, I fully agree with his assessment. It is absoloutely correct.

My views on some of the players:

Goalkeeper Jude Menezes: He was sure and extremely confident. My only advice to him is to watch and study the goals that he conceded. I am sure he will agree that this happened because he was caught on the run. Otherwise, he saved the day many a time especially from the penalty-corner drag flicks. In my opinion, his best match was against Spain.

Dilip Tirkey and Dinesh Nayak: Both played well, and special mention must be made for their sound tackling, speed and recovery in defence, and not giving away too many penalty-corners. Their composure in operating the defence permitted our wing halves to attack and support the strikers, thereby ensuring a healthy jointing between the defence and attack. For me, Tirkey had the edge and was also quite instrumental in scoring from penalty-corners.

Baljit Siani: He was probably the best player on view. Competent in his defensive duties and proficient in the attack, especially whilst feeding the forwards.

Thiruvalavan Selvaraj: Thiru was really the spoiler and he did his job to a nicety, closing down and breaking the opposition midfielders as soon as they received the ball. He was also effective in the left-half position whenever played there.

Baljit Dhillon: His drag flicks really came good at the right time. He has been scoring consistently in the domestic circuit but not as consistently internationally. However, he did deliver at the right time -- the Olympics. That he did not score from every flick is something we all must understand as it is not possible. True, he did carry the ball many a time, using his skill and speed, but where he really needs improvement is his final release.

Dhanraj Pillay: His penalty-corner charge-out was what I would consider his best contribution to the team. But with him playing more in midfield (was it that he feared the the defence would not being able to withstand the pressure or was he was trying to do a Stephan Veen by trying to breakthrough from the midfield) there was less sting in our attack. If there are no gaps created for him to break through then every time he gets the ball he will have to go through a host of defenders besides shaking his marker. That was one of the main reasons why our forwards lacked the penetrative edge.

In sum, I would surmise India’s performance as under:

Gains: The most positive and refreshing aspect was the charge-out of our defence during penalty-corners. It was really good. The penalty-corners execution was simple; either the direct hit or the drag flick, which fortunately proved quite beneficial.

Drawbacks: Over indulgence and excessive carrying of the ball. Ball watching. Insufficient tactics. The absence of a field communicator. Predictable attacking play. Old mistakes being repeated.

What can we learn from the other teams? Their aggression, focus and composure. Playing to a plan, tactical manoeuvres, analysing and rectifying mistakes, how/when to use power play and the never-say-die attitude.

Having said that, I end with the hope that the staraps of Indian hockey keep a cool head while doing a post-mortem of the Olympics performance. Unnecessary action will only be detrimental to the game in the country.

Cedric D'Souza was the coach of the Indian hockey team for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics

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