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These are difficult times for the Indian men’s hockey team. Desperate times call for desperate measures goes the saying and the national team have no option but to summon desperate measures in a last-ditch effort to seal a berth in the 2014 World Cup, by winning the upcoming 9th Asia Cup.
And for one man – Maharaj Krishan Kaushik – who has weathered many tough times in his playing and coaching career, it is a big-time opportunity to play a part in helping India book a ticket to the 2014 World Cup. “I’m elated to have been given the opportunity by Hockey India (HI) to contribute in some way in helping the Indian team win the Asia Cup and cement our place in the World Cup,” the national team’s assistant coach Kaushik says in an exclusive interview to Sportskeeda.
The 58-year-old, who was part of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold-winning team as well a member of the 1982 Asia Cup silver-winning team, concedes that the pressure will be on India to deliver. “No doubt the boys will feel the pressure given the fact that this is our last opportunity to seal our World Cup, but I have no doubts that the boys have what it takes to handle such pressure,” he says.
The former speedy right winger, who also played in the 1982 World Cup in Mumbai, says he has enjoyed working closely with head coach Roelant Oltmans who is also Hockey India’s High Performance Manager.
“Roelant Oltmans is a famed coach with world-class credentials. I don’t even have to say it, the hockey world knows him. I’m trying to help the team in whatever capacity I can,” he says.
Kaushik, who first served as the Indian women’s team coach from 1991-1994 and then again from 1994-2008, said the team have showed improvement under Michael Nobbs. “I think the team did show improvement in certain areas under Nobbs. It will be unfair to say that the team achieved nothing with Nobbs as coach. We just have to take this team forward with the right strategy,” he quips.
Kaushik retired as Deputy Director of Sports with the Haryana Government. He had attained a fair amount of success as national women’s coach. She guided the Indian hockey eves to a bronze in the 1993 Asia Cup in Hong Kong. Kaushik, in his second stint, as women’s hockey coach, shepherded the Indian eves to gold in the 2004 Asia Cup in New Delhi. He helped the Indian hockey eves bag a silver in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne as well as a bronze in the 2006 Doha Asiad.
There is so much talk going around about which style of hockey India must adopt – Kaushik feels India has to do what is good for them. “I’m not suggesting that we should stick to a European or Asian style of hockey or Australian way of attacking hockey. All I’m saying is that we should employ a strategy which is in the best interests of the national team,” he explains.
And what about the never-ending talk about whether Indian coaches lack the skills to meet the requirements of modern hockey, as suggested by legendary Aussie Ric Charlesworth? “Ric Charlesworth is a big name in world hockey, he is entitled to his opinion. I think Indian coaches are not lacking in this aspect and can contribute in some capacity or the other,” he chooses his words carefully.
Kaushik, who helped the Indian men’s team to gold in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, agrees a coach is better off if he has played the game with distinction. “Obviously it is of big help. When you have played the game you are in a better position to understand the psychological demands of the game and how the players have to cope with them,” adds Kasushik, who replaced his 1980 Olympics team captain Vasudevan Bhaskaran as national coach following India’s disastrous 1998 Utrecht World Cup campaign.
The upcoming 9th Asia Cup will see India battle with the likes of Korea, Pakistan and Malaysia for the lone continental berth. Kaushik feels India have the wherewithal to book its flight to Hague. “I know it won’t be easy but we have world-class players to do the job for us. I’m upbeat about our qualifying chances we will give our best shot, quips the former India player, who has been appointed as assistant coach till the 2016 Rio Olympics.
