In 2012 the great Australian hockey player, Jamie Dwyer, observed that the quality of India’s hockey oscillated between the sublime and ridiculous. India has had many bizarre moments in hockey, such as an own goal from a back pass in a Champions Trophy game at Melbourne in December, 2012 against New Zealand.
The commentators were incredulous, and spectators were made painfully aware of the sloppiness and ineptitude of that moment. Yet, the Indian team went on to win that game.
The first question before the World Cup is what steps have been taken to improve India’s play. High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans and coach Terry Walsh have echoed former coach Michael Nobbs’ assertion that playing the world’s leading teams more often is necessary for India to improve. India has been steeled for the World Cup by playing better-ranked teams in the Champions Trophy 2012, and the World league Semi Finals and the World league Finals in 2013 and 2014. This is a feat no other team ranked 11th or below was able to accomplish. How did this happenIJ
Credit for this goes to Hockey India, which has won India influence through good marketing of the game. The Hockey India league has taken player earnings to stratospheric heights. Hockey India has developed India as a financial hub for the game. But India also needs to do well, rather than merely using money power to showcase hockey events. International Hockey Federation President leandro Negre publicly asserts that India’s success is important for the future of hockey.
Thus, the FIH gave India a wildcard entry into the 2012 Champions Trophy, the first time India played in this tournament since 2005. India played the best teams on the planet, surprising all with a 4th place finish. By making a successful bid for the World league Finals 2014 India gained the right to play as host, despite not qualifying. India thus got a chance to play the world’s best seven teams. Despite early losses India was able to beat Olympic champions Germany at full strength, for the first time since 2004. India rode on the opportunity of playing the World league finals to improve its world ranking to 8th.
With such tough match play, there could have been no better preparation for the World Cup. Even the Hockey India league has helped increase the confidence level of Indian players, who rubbed shoulders with established world–level players from every major hockey–playing country. Hockey India kept up the momentum going into the World Cup. The European tour in April, 2014 gave India the opportunity to play the Netherlands and Belgium, two World Cup medal prospects.
An analysis of recent tournaments, all of which I have watched on television, suggests gradual confidence-creation through calm and composed play and an improving defensive structure. For the first time since 2002 India won back to back matches in the 2012 Champions Trophy. In the World league Semifinals in 2013 India did not fare too badly, despite the disappointment of not being able to qualify for the World Cup. It drew against New Zealand and had a narrow loss to Spain, teams against which India has struggled in recent years.
In the Asia Cup 2013 India comfortably beat Malaysia in the semifinals. In the finals against Korea India needed to play tight- fisted hockey, and to avoid easy fouls. The team’s passing lost the pinpoint edge, and the game was a satiating tug of war which Korea won — but just. Korea beat India like a finalist, and India played like a quick-learning apprentice. Considering that Korea has been consistently better in recent years, criticism of India’s performance in that game was harsh. Moreover, India had done enough in the World league semi- finals by securing the 6th position, getting World Cup qualification as the 4th reserve.
Even if India’s improvement is slow, historically, no hockey team has succeeded in making a sudden ascension and remaining on the summit. It took years of systematic work for Germany, the Netherlands and Australia to create and maintain world class teams. Belgium has become a major force because of strong development. India is not at par yet with any of the top six teams. During the European tour in April, 2014, India lost 2- 4 and 1- 2 to the Netherlands, and 1- 2 to Belgium. But the Netherlands is ranked 3rd in the world, and Belgium 5th.
Ordinary people think that India might be in irreversible decline, but actually there is some improvement in its play. India may not be a medal-prospect in the three major tournaments, but it is capable of remaining a top eight team. The trouble is that, with no medals coming in the Olympics, the World Cup or the Champions Trophy, the game struggles for spectator support. Yet, hockey captures India’s soul in a way cricket cannot, because India’s hockey history has an Olympian grandeur. Indians love cricket, but they will die for hockey.
The best we can do for Indian hockey is to leave the team alone before the World Cup, and avoid undue expectations. The time has come to enjoy the beautiful game, rather than remaining obsessed with the national team. We will see over 300 of the world’s best players in 76 games, featuring both men and women. 70 national teams with over 1,000 players are expected to play in the Masters World Cup which will be simultaneously held, in age groups over 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60. Just watching the World Cup will show how competitive the field has become. The Indian team will surely gain a lot from it, and this will only help the development of the game in the long run.
Jitendra Nath Misra is an Indian Foreign Service officer and is currently India’s ambassador to Portugal. These are his personal views, not those of the government of India