Indian hockey’s precious diamonds need to be recognised

The Indian women’s team celebrating their bronze medal finish at the Junior Hockey World Cup

Now that a new dawn has arisen in Indian hockey, with the unheralded, spectacular and never before achieved success of the junior India girls Under-21 team, winning the bronze medal to take a seat in the world’s elite roster, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the statement of this winning team’s experienced assistant/former national coach, S Kumar.

“We have to ensure that we build on this win. It should be used as a catalyst to do well in the World Cups and the Olympics. It won’t be easy, but these girls have shown that they can compete with the best on big stages,” he said.

In hockey speak – we need to pool our resources together, build consensus, and work as a team, and the same results can be achieved in the future, both for women and men.

Towards that aim, it is appropriate to recognize and cherish Indian hockey’s precious gems, who can make a difference in Indian hockey if handled well, as they deservingly should be.

It is not only the administration that needs to be cognizant of these individuals; the whole country should cherish them, either with recognition or benefits. Here, to introduce the concept of “world-class”, we need to bring in the most popular politician in India, Mr Narendra Modi.

Whatever you may consider his politics, his controversies, there is no doubt that as a politician, administrator and speaker, and including his audience connect and meteoric rise from a humble background, he is absolutely world-class in his field.

There is a similar vein running through all the individuals and institutions mentioned below.

Monster talent - Rani Rampal & Gurjinder Singh.

Both are 18. These two are absolute gems that need to be handled with kid gloves because they’re going to make a difference in Indian hockey in future. Both of them need India’s support.

They need personal trainers or individual coaches, proper guidance, stints abroad for continued hockey education. With Gurjinder Singh being relatively well off now, what with his being WSH Player of the Year, a massive award, that should not be difficult. He needs to become a complete player and he needs specialized PC training with the best experts in the world from Holland.

It is an entirely different situation with Rani, who will need not only judicious handling of her health issues, rehabilitation and an injury prevention specific program, but also other forms of monetary support for hockey education purposes to fulfill her potential.

India captain Sardara Singh.

Another absolutely precious gem. A future FIH Player of the Year. He has been appropriately recognized by India and the world, but needs judicious handling to sustain the longevity of his career.

His skills are breath-taking and he epitomizes what hockey should be all about. He’s a great ambassador for our game. Plus, the country needs to surround him with teammates who can take his career towards the natural fulfillment that it deserves, in establishing his Indian team amongst the elite in the world.

India’s best young hockey brain, Dhananjay Mahadik.

Nicknamed by coach Brasa as dimag (brain in Hindi), he was appropriately recognized by India for the hockey brain that he is, by being invited as a strategic video analyst for the Indian national team.

This was after he did an outstanding job with the Delhi WaveRiders in the Hockey India League – the only Indian strategic video analyst amongst his world peers, and a rare national player/video analyst combo.

Why this brainy hockey player was discarded from the national team is not part of this discussion. But it goes without saying that right from his teens, when he lost his dad, he has shown tremendous enterprise, single-mindedness and drive, and leadership qualities both for his army team & for India, to orchestrate his meteoric rise.

It is correctly stated that he gained immense knowledge from coach Brasa, and he will now act as a conduit for that information, from which the country will surely benefit for many years to come. Plus with his intrinsic ability and history, we can only see this knowledge advance further. India needs to look after this gem.

Indian Women’s hockey team players with coach Neil Hawgood during practice session at Dhyan Chand Stadium for the upcoming Hockey World League Round 2 on February 14, 2013 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Indian women’s team chief coach Neil Hawgood.

A potential super coach. Not because of his maiden success in such a short time or because he made his team win something that they have never done before. It is because of his attributes purely as a coach. To illustrate this point, let us examine his statements.

Neil Hawgood attributed the women’s team’s success in the Junior Hockey World Cup to the experience his wards attained while playing at the senior level.

India fielded more or less the same team which came a cropper in the FIH World League Round 3 in Rotterdam in June, and Hawgood said the experience of playing at the senior level worked wonders for the junior girls.

“The success has come from all the big losses as we have been beaten by top teams of the world in World League Round 3. Now, the senior level experience has helped the girls here at the Junior World Cup,” a jubilant Hawgood said after India defeated Spain 4-2 to earn their maiden semi-final place in the event.

Neil Hawgood: “It means a lot to our kids’ psychology that they can actually win a medal. They have never been in those games before. We practiced shoot-outs, so I thought we would score more than three out of seven. Our goalkeeper Bigan Soy, who never played a minute the whole tournament, did a great job. It was clear, when it came down to shoot-outs, she will be in the goal.”

After the Holland game, Neil Hawgood said, “We played very, very well today but we got a bit tired in the last ten minutes. We cannot complain. We also had a pretty good defence. Unfortunately we let in a soft goal; this was the 2-0. This match was a good lesson for my players.”

“I think when the girls wake up tomorrow, they will be driven to win the bronze medal. Playing for bronze is the best they have done in their life so far.”

“He saw the team at the junior Asia Cup soon after his appointment and was confident of their abilities. Hence, it was decided to include them in the senior program. Neil laid special emphasis on that and the results are showing,” says former national coach CR Kumar, who was Hawgood’s assistant.

a. Hawgood backed his team to make the semi-finals, knowing its strength and that of his opponents, and he achieves it.b. On the strength of his convictions, he plays an untested goalkeeper at a crucial juncture in a medal round game because he sees something in her, and he goes on to being correct.c. All statements are a testament to the fact that he knows the score, his team’s weakness, strengths, and is bold and willing to execute his ideas fearlessly.

This, to all observers, should be the hallmark of a true coach. Is it not proper for India to do Atithi-bhav (guest comfort above all) for a guest who will be doing so much for her in return? How about an offer that cannot be refused!

Maybe in addition to his current salary, some traditional perks could be offered, as most government officers routinely receive, like a bungalow or a chauffeur & car. It is something that he can only dream of in Australia. It would make it more comfortable for his family to visit him from Australia.

Maybe dual residencies option i.e. many months in India and the rest in Australia. How about some corporate sponsorship? Let us get some meat on the bone, and make the package really attractive. Plus, relieve some of the salary burden from the cash-strapped Sports Authority of India.

Coach Baldev Singh, the architect of Haryana’s hockey nursery of Shahabad.

Shahabad is contributing tremendously to the national women’s hockey program. The magnitude of his contribution to the program would be difficult to match anywhere in the world.

India has duly rewarded him with an Astroturf pitch, but it needs to up the ante, by providing him with whatever he needs to increase the success rate of this program. The country needs to give him the respect that he deserves and expand his program further.

Arrange a meeting with Neil Hawgood and CR Kumar and others in the know of Indian women’s hockey, so a common purpose and mutually beneficial agenda can be established. Also, a top-notch assistant for him is crucially needed to sustain and maintain his good work for a long time to come.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy

The vision of former sports minister Yashodara Raje Scindia. Also, current chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh must be appreciated for starting the Academy, and nurturing the talents of many on the current junior women’s team, as also the junior Men’s team, including Affan Yousuf & Arman Querishi, and for continually promoting and supporting Indian hockey.

Academy coach Paramjit Singh made the statement, “Work hard, you are destined for greater things.” This is truly a world-class effort. India salutes you! How about helping them form more academies, maybe in Gwalior & other such places?

Andrea Thumshirn

A German hockey player who’s doing pioneering work in laying down the roots of what might become an important element in the development of grassroots modern recreational/elite hockey in her adopted country, India.

By importing a discarded artificial turf and laying it down through her own efforts, in a dusty village in Rajasthan, she has set an example on how low-cost NGO type of work can benefit Indian hockey.

Andreu Enrich and his Spanish group’s work on similar lines in Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh. Hats off to your world-class effort for the poor children of India. How about asking them to tour all over India, sharing their experiences, both successes and failures, spreading the good word & encouraging others to do the same? They need administrative support & encouragement.

Nameless Academies doing selfless work, like Jude Felix Academy, Chandigarh Academy, and many such academies both in Punjab and Odisha, and in Karnataka like the Ashish Ballal Academy, in building and nurturing talent. We only hope that all folk associated with this valiant effort sustain their energy and drive. You are vital cogs in the non–governmental development of Indian hockey.

The Thousand Hockey Legs Program of K Arumugam & Shashank Gupta is also a vital effort in promoting recreational hockey from its deep slumber in India. A world-class effort. Thank you guys.

The pioneering work of Dr. Shankar Kumar Chatterjee, among the slum dwellers in Kolkata. He’s conducting a very interesting experiment in introducing modern, scientific, European blend of hockey techniques from all over the world into grassroots hockey, to fathom the degree of its adaptation by Indian kids.

It has the potential to give all Indian hockey teachers/ coaches some insight into the learning abilities of Indian kids with different course material. To go against the grain of Indian parents, cultural bias towards studies/tuition, and yet introduce a sports culture and grassroots recreational hockey, is extremely difficult.

He has, in spite of tremendous odds, politics, attitude of parents, culture, and cricket, developed a fledging hockey league. India salutes you! How about a seat at the table amongst pioneer coaches, recounting his experiences?

Merzban Bawa, being the ultimate Pied Piper of Mumbai hockey, instrumental in hundreds of Mumbai-ites playing hockey because of his tireless effort in chaperoning and encouraging them over the years.

He is responsible for the development of the likes of the Valmiki brothers, Viren, Adrian D’Souza and many other Olympian/Mumbai/ national team talent. Mr Bawa, how about sharing your experiences and enthusiasm with others?

It is imperative that India polishes these above diamonds even further and adds even more of them, so that it makes a gorgeous necklace that should be Indian hockey.

India is a huge country. I’m certain there are innumerable unknown precious stones all over India and the above are only those in one’s immediate purview.

No real disservice is meant to these folks or institutions by not mentioning them above. But a proposal to have a joint effort in recognizing these other diamonds, and spreading the word on their exploits, needs active consideration. Please contribute in this effort, by adding further gems with their bona fides in the comment section.