Among international rivalries across the globe, India-Pakistan is one that stands out, given the history between the two countries. Over the decades, both sides have given innumerable sporting moments to cherish and when it comes to hockey and cricket, no other rivalry comes even close in either sport.
This Sunday – fans in both nations as well as around the world, will get to witness India and Pakistan face off simultaneously, in both cricket and hockey, and that too in London – at venues a short cab ride away from one another. At the Oval cricket ground, the two rivals will contest the ICC Champions Trophy final, while at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, they will play out a pool match of the Hockey World League Semifinals.
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We at Sportskeeda caught up with Dronacharya Award-winning coach Harendra Singh, a man who knows a thing or two about the Indo-Pak rivalry. Most recently, he guided the junior national hockey team to a historic World Cup victory last year and over the years has – as a player and as a coach, been a part of many iconic India-Pakistan matches.
They can be extremely emotional affairs, says Harendra, but at the same time, they are no different from matches against any other teams. “It is the fans and the media who hype up these games and the rivalry. For the players and coaches, it is just another match, or atleast we try to keep it that way as much as possible.”
However, this does not mean that they do not feel any effects before the game. “The pressure is there on both teams. The players in the Pakistan team have an equal amount of expectation and baggage from back home, if not more,” he said.
Also read: India vs Pakistan Hockey: History in numbers
“Not just for the players, these matches are a matter of prestige for the officials too. If you ask an umpire in hockey or in cricket which match do they like officiating the most, I am sure they will say India and Pakistan.”
Things are not the same as they were before between the two countries and over the years, the tensions on the pitch have calmed down. Harendra said, “Thanks to social media and a general increase in awareness among people, the tension has died down quite a bit, especially after 2002.
“We still get to hear things like ‘it is okay if you lose all your matches but win against Pakistan’, but now people have realised that the tournament is much more important than one single match.” He added, “However, the rivalry remains a source of motivation on both sides, which makes the matches between the two countries special.”
This weekend is bound to be historic with two matches side-by-side, something Harendra calls ‘sone par suhaaga’. “Both sets of players are lucky that they will be a part of such a momentous occasion,” he said.
But who does he think will win? “In these matches, it all comes down to which team can control their emotions better. For our hockey team, I think we should be able to do that and I would say that we will win by a margin of 4-1, minimum.”
That is a bold prediction, at the very least and it remains to be seen how the action will play out once the day of reckoning arrives. Here’s hoping for two memorable and well-contested matches and as cliched as it may sound, may the better team(s) win!
Related: Hockey World League Semi-Finals: Need to play with more aggression, says skipper Manpreet Singh
