Oldtime hockey rivals meet on Thursday in marquee match
There was a time when, at all the major multi-sport events, hockey used to be the centre of attraction for Indians. But the scenario has changed. Other sports like wrestling, boxing and shooting have caught up with hockey and built a good fan base with consistent performances. Hockey has been reduced to ‘one of the events’ category. Similarly, Pakistan have also lost their erstwhile status in the world hockey.
What hasn’t changed, though, is the excitement that the contest between India and Pakistan evokes among people in both the countries. level of competition aside, emotions make it the mother of all matches. Passions run high in both the camps.
It is these emotions that the players would need to control on Thursday when the two countries, who have 10 Asian Games gold medals between them, would face each other at the Seonhak Hockey Stadium here in a pool game.
“It’s an important match for both the teams. lots of emotions are involved and it will be important to control them. Whoever is able to use the brain along the emotions, have a better chance to win,” Pakistan hockey captain Mohammad Imran said.
“India and Pakistan are playing after a long time. We are excited about the match. I hope everyone will enjoy it,” Indian captain Sardar Singh said.
Coming into the Asian Games, eight-time Asian Games gold medalists Pakistan are without match practice. They haven’t played any competitive match in the last 10-11 months and their practice matches here in Incheon were cancelled. Pakistan failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup in The Netherlands while it did not field a team at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games due to a split in its national Olympic association. On the other hand, two times gold medalists India have been playing regularly and won a silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last month.
“Not playing (much this year) is irrelevant. We’ve come here as defending champions. We’ve won eight times and want to maintain our record. We have a blend of young and experienced, 10 from the winning team from last time. It’s a balanced team. We’ll play positive and new format has changed the format of the game. It has become faster. We’ve practised for six months on this format,” Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh, member of 1971 World Cup winning team and 1976 Olympics bronze medal winning team, said.
At the Asian Games so far, both the teams have managed to win their respective matches easily. Pakistan beat Sri lanka 14-0 and China 2-0 while India thrashed Thailand 3-0 and Oman 7-0. None of them have been challenged by their oppositions so far. But Thursday’s match will test their skills, speed and temperament.
“This match will decide the No. 1 side in the Pool B. It’s like a final for both the teams,” Sheikh said. Shahnaz believes that Pakistan’s almost one-year hibernation period would work in their favour as the Indian team doesn’t know much about his players while they have seen India playing in various tournaments several times in the last one year.
India’s high performance director Roelant Oltmans said, “It’s difficult to say that they will be at a disadvantage but at the same time they don’t have anything to lose. They aren’t playing well and everyone can understand that. But, in the end, this tournament is not about one game. First thing for us is to qualify for the semifinals. Irrespective of the result, both the teams have a big chance to qualify further. I am not worried about the game. For me it’s important that we raise our level of the game.”
Jude Felix, Indian coach, said, “In the end it’s all about execution, how you play on that particular day. As far as watching the other team is concerned, it always happens in the tournaments. If you haven’t seen them earlier, you can see them in the tournament.
“How you strategies and then execute your plans in the match is the most important thing,” he added. Where Pakistan stand at the moment is unknown but India certainly have an edge over them and it would be a tall order for the Green Shirts from across the border to stop the Men in Blue.