Qualifying for the Olympics after a hiatus of 36 years was seen as a ‘big high’ for Indian women hockey. But the way the national eves have performed at the Rio Olympics after their fighting 2-2 draw against Japan makes one wonder whether the team was ‘happy’ to be just ‘part of the Olympics’.
Qualifying for the Olympics should not be seen in such a perspective that the ‘performance parameters’ are put on the backburner.
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One remembers how Rani Rampal scored a first quarter goal and how India held on to that lead for the rest of the match to pip Japan to finish fifth and seal their Olympic berth. Of course, the moment in Belgium was a ‘huge one’ for Indian women hockey.
The national eves cannot complain about inadequate preparation for the Olympics. Hockey India has sent on a slew of overseas tours – Argentina, South Africa New Zealand, England, Australia and USA – over the last nine months or so. And yet the team does not seem to inspire confidence that they can ‘fight hard’ against the big teams.
Clearly, questions will be asked about the head coach of the Indian women hockey team. The tale of ‘coaching musical chairs’ was in full view of the hockey fans. Preparing for the Olympics is serious stuff and you can’t have coaches coming and going with months before the Olympics.
Sample this, the Indian team qualified for the Olympic in early July but did not have a head coach for close to six months before Canadian Mathias Ahrens took charge in May. Ahrens took over after New Zealander Anthony Thornton was appointed in January 2015, but he did not turn up due to health issues.
Interestingly, the Belgium Hockey World League Semifinal Round, where India sealed their Olympic berth, happened to be Mathias Ahrens’ first and last international assignment. Then what followed was something undesirable.
Former coach Neil Hawgood was called up as an assistant coach to Ahrens in October 2015, only to be told a few days later that the Aussie will return as head coach – a position he served between July 2012 and December 2014.
Ahrens was demoted as a ‘strategy coach’ and thought one is not sure what transpired between both the coaches, insiders say the Canadian was not finding it comfortable working in a lesser role to Hawgood and that was a big factor in him leaving the job three months later.
One would like to know is this how a team qualifying for the Olympics prepares. Any nation would like to have a coach, who is around with the team for a long time so he can get the best out of the team. Of course, thanks to his earlier more than a two-year stint, Hawgood knows the girls well and no one disputes that.
But what about his performance as a coach in recent months? He did play a role in India winning an Asian Games medal, but it’s been a long time since that was achieved.
There is a general feeling that women hockey is given serious attention like our men’s team. Selection of players, who have struggled to be above average, for a prolonged period throws uncomfortable questions – is there a paucity of women hockey talent across the country?
Are underperforming players holding their places because they are in the good books of the coaches and selectors? One does not know if these are the right questions to ask but just makes us wonder if ‘smaller’ goals are chased for women hockey in India.
