The prestigious FIH Champions Trophy 2016 is upon us.
Set to flag off on 10 June at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London, the tournament features hosts Great Britain, holders Germany, World No. 1 Australia, Belgium, Korea and India. After each team plays five games in a round-robin fashion, the top two placeholders will lock horns in the 17 June finale to settle the winner of the 36th edition of the Champions Trophy.
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Coming into the tournament, India’s chances look stronger than ever. So much so that a possibility of the Indians clinching the title this time around is delightfully realistic.
Let us now take a look at what the Indian team needs to do to win their maiden Champions Trophy at London:
1. One match at a time
A quick look at the fixtures would reveal an outright intimidating scenario for the Indian team.
In the opener itself, they will square off against defending champions Germany – the holders of back-to-back Olympic gold medals from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 as well. On the following day, India will face the host nation Great Britain in what could easily turn out to be a tricky obstacle to overcome at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
A day’s gap in between, by the time India play their third game of the tournament against 4th seeds Belgium, their medal prospects will be pretty clear. Only the penultimate clash versus a Korean side that won’t be featuring in Rio could be deemed an easy ask – although the team needs to be wary of the complacency that, in the past, had cost us dearly.
That the 16 July Australia game poses the biggest threat is a no-brainer, with India having fallen twice, heavily, to the World No. 1 side during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in April.
Under such circumstances, the right approach should be to tackle each opposition individually, categorically without letting the apprehensions concerning the next teams creep into the existent setting.
It is common knowledge that today’s Indian team can outperform any rival on their day – only a solid effort on the field in every game will decide their fate on the closing day of the 36th Champions Trophy.
2. Tighten the defence
Defence – the facet of the Indian side that has given rise to maximum woes on the field.
An otherwise balanced unit, India have been failing miserably to keep a clean sheet for a while now. If not for a prolific strike force, most victories would have gone the other way due to the dreadful defending in the face of counter-attacks and penalty corners alike.
PR Sreejesh’s return to the side as the acting skipper replacing Sardar Singh who has been rested for the tournament is a cheerful sign for the Indians. Ace defender Rupinder Pal Singh will be sitting out as well, with veteran Vokkaliga Raghunath back amongst the Indian ranks.
Alongside the back line, midfielders Chinglensana and Kothajit will have a huge responsibility on their shoulders not to let the opponents find much space in the centre in Sardar’s absence.
3. Strike the perfect senior-junior balance
Several youngsters have been called up to the national side following a string of consistent displays in domestic and international leagues.
20-year-old Harmanpreet Singh has been the pick of the lot, stepping it up in every game the coach has entrusted him with, creating multiple chances and scoring from the spot with his clinical drag-flicks. Having played alongside Rupinder in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Harmanpreet will be partnering the far more experienced VR Raghunath when they take the field in London.
Staying true to its effective rotation policy, the Indian selectors have brought in 21-year-old Vikas Dahiya as the second choice goalkeeper to complement captain Sreejesh under the woodwork.
It has been a matter of grave concern that our talent pool hasn’t been able to name a steady backup goalie after Sreejesh for quite a while – Akash Chikte and Harjot Singh couldn’t fare the way we’d have wished in the Malaysia tournament.
Whether the new combinations succeed in sealing the chinks at the back and provide some additional firepower in attack is something we are eager to find out at the Champions Trophy.
4. Increase the penalty corner conversion rate
Forward Ramandeep Singh has been rested for the trophy and vice-captain SV Sunil will do his best to extend his brilliant form from his previous outings when his team takes on the top sides from the world in London later this week.
Akashdeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah give shape to an enviable forward lineup for India, but with formidable oppositions in question, it all boils down to the indispensable penalty corners that would settle the fortunes of the contenders for the 2016 Champions Trophy.
Raghunath’s execution will be crucial in each game as Talwinder Singh has already iterated how the key is to create penalty corner opportunities for our proficient drag-flickers to capitalise on.
Rupinder’s exclusion should be overcome efficiently by the veteran fullback and his counterpart Harmanpreet, who’s proved his mettle in national colours already. A higher degree of conversion in the opening games could put India in the driver’s seat towards the top two ranks that will face off in the championship tie on the final day.
5. Believe
Lastly, the Indian side cannot afford to be overwhelmed by the apparent monstrosity of the challenge at hand. Sure, the team has spent years, rather decades, away from the glorious platform that once used to be beneath our feet on a regular basis – but the recent surge has obliterated our reputation as minnows for good.
A resounding bronze in the 2015 Hockey World League, consecutive silver medals at the 2010 Delhi and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games are sparkling signs of the much-awaited reincarnation of Indian Hockey.
Such a setting ahead of the Rio Olympics is perfect for the Indian team to make a dash for its maiden FIH Champions Trophy. With coach Roelant Oltmans at the helm, all it needs to do is believe they can defeat every opposition and so they will, putting up a spirited performance at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
