Indian players always play under extra pressure - Jose Brasa, former Indian hockey coach

Jose Brasa soared in popularity during his stint as Indian men’s hockey team coach.The Spaniard is even today talked about glowingly by many Indian players (those in the current side as well as those outside).

The manner in which he took over from Joaquim Carvalho and lifted the side’s fortunes despite all the official odds stacked against him, drew copious praise from many quarters.

The 62-year-old shepherded the national side to a commendable bronze medal-winning effort at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangdong, China as well as a silver medal-winning effort at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Brasa has also served as coach of the Ukraine women’s hockey team coach besides being part of the now-defunct World Series Hockey, where he sat in the coach chair of the Chennai Cheetahs side.

The vastly experienced coach spoke on various issues concerning Indian hockey in an exclusive interview to Sportskeeda.

Excerpts:

Q. Michael Nobbs took over as India coach in June 2011 after Hockey India did not renew your contract despite the country bagging a bronze at the 2010 Asian Games. What are your thoughts on the Australian’s stint as India coach?

My first feeling is why always is the coach fired and held responsible for the team’s performance? I reckon the biggest difference between Nobbs and me was the selection criteria – the players he likes to select for the national team is completely different from the players I picked. I prefer to choose creative players. Another difference between Nobbs and me is the freedom I gave to the system of play to enable Indian players develop the Indian style of playing. Creativity is a part of the Indian personality, it is inside Indian idiosyncrasy, and positive parts of the Indian idiosyncrasy shall be maximized when playing.

Q. What ails Indian hockey? Europeans teams are rapidly improving – even teams like Belgium and Ireland have shown that they can match the best in the business. Australia is also improving all the time. Where do you think India is lagging behind in terms of tactics?

It is true that these nations have improved a lot after working under the same coach – coaches in these nations have the freedom to hammer out their plan of action and develop the team sans any interference from the hockey board. The coaches in these countries have the leeway to choose their support staff; assume full control of the situation, even when it came to selection of players, as well as the captain – that way a coach is in a better position to deliver.

These nations have been able to create a conducive environment where the players have the confidence to perform as well as learn and improve. The hockey boards of these nations give a lot of confidence to the coach, and that is the only way to achieve success.

In India, hockey players are under a lot of pressure once they are called to play for the national team. Hockey in India has a rich history (winning eight Olympic gold medals is a phenomenal achievement). Players come into the national team with the hope of regaining the country’s past glory, and everybody know how important hockey is in India, Hockey is the national sport in India. This is an extra pressure on Indian players – something that does not exist in other countries. Neither Hockey India nor SAI creates an environment where players can play without any pressure of being dropped from the side.

I don’t think it’s a problem of tactics; it all about keeping an ancestral system alive, like the selectors, the team being captain chosen by the board, Hockey India and SAI singling out players, when they speak their mind on issues concerning the sport.

Q. Generally speaking, Asian teams are declining. What do you think could be the reasons for that?

Asian teams are unable to realize their potential owing to lack of good artificial pitches. Good players are more brilliant in good surfaces. Having better surfaces can have more advantages, and the skillful players can dish out even better performances. Asia has the world’s most skillful hockey players (from India and Pakistan). Therefore, hockey authorities in India and Pakistan must make an effort to lay good artificial surfaces.

Q. In India, most hockey surfaces are constructed from polypropylene fiber. Do you think that there is a need to opt for a nylon 6.6 fiber surface?

Nylon 6.6 fiber is the world’s best artificial hockey surface. Nylon 6.6 fiber is five to seven times more expensive than polypropilene fiber. Artificial pitches made from polypropilene fiber are very bumpy, where the ball bounces a lot. This surface is good for players who indulge in more physical play and less skill.

In India, most of the pitches are made from polypropylene. The improvement of hockey in India is being harmed by the polypropylene surface. If the surface of the Indian stadiums had been nylon 6.6, then the results of the India team had been much better.

Q. How much pressure a foreign coach has to take whenever he is appointed as India coach?

The pressure for a foreigner taking over as India coach is very high. Foreign coaches are confronted with unbecoming behavior. The system of putting pressure and hitting back at coaches for speaking their mind is obsolete. Nowadays cooperation and teamwork are the need of the hour.

Q. The Sports Authority of India and Hockey India are two entities involved in the promotion of hockey in the country. Do you think that there is adequate coordination between them?

I did not see any good coordination between both bodies. During my stint as India coach SAI was interfering rudely many times on specific hockey decisions that was not their business. I can cite one example, SAI was asking me for full reports of each player (day-by-day, session-by-session), with the only intention of wasting time of the foreign coach, and putting me under more pressure. SAI should control the budget and Hockey India should control the sport, as it happens in almost all other countries.

Q. Looking back at your coaching stint in India – you took charge in 2009 and stayed till the end of 2010 – were you surprised that your contract was not renewed despite the fact that India won a bronze at the 2010 Asiad in Guangzhou beating the four-time champions Korea in the 3rd place play-off tie.

I knew that it was difficult to see Hockey India and SAI renew my contract as I had criticized them on many occasions – I had also flayed their system of treating the players as well as the coach. So it did not came as a surprise when they did not renew my contract. I was hopeful that the good results in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games could tilt the scales in my favour, but unfortunately in India it does not happen that way.

Q. A lot of youngsters were tried out during Nobbs’ stint as India coach. The likes of Shivendra Singh and Tushar Khandker are considered unwelcome to the national team. Even someone like Gurbaj Singh is out of the side since the 2012 Olympics. Do you think employing the ‘all young mantra’ is the right strategy?

I do not think that overlooking these players was the right strategy. It was not a sports decision, more a political one. As far as I know, the axing of three players was a joint decision of Hockey India and Nobbs for disciplinary reasons. And I believe Sarvanjit Singh was also meted the same treatment.

These disciplinary reasons are the kind of interferences that should not happen, something that does not happen in other countries. Both SAI and Hockey India put extra pressure on players and create a bad atmosphere where players cannot perform. During my time as India coach Hockey India wielded the axe on some players like Arjun Halappa, Prabhjot Singh, Adrian D`Souza against my wishes due to disciplinary reasons.

Q. Drag-flicker Sandeep Singh had a poor tournament in the Hockey World League Round 3 event in Rotterdam. Do you think his international career is over?

I do not think that Sandeep Singh is finished. We do not know the reasons or reasons of his performance. Maybe his poor performance in Rotterdam was due to lack of confidence, or other reasons which can be solved. It is an unquestionable fact is that Sandeep Singh is the world’s best drag-flicker.

Q. How do you assess Sardar Singh’s captaincy?

I believe Sardar is now the best captain India can have. He is an outstanding player, one of the best players in the world if not the best just now. He is a very committed player, with a positive attitude and leads by example.

Q. As coach of the Indian team, it is said that you wanted Prabhjot Singh as the captain and it was alleged that you cold-shouldered captain Rajpal Singh – both of whom are out of the team.

That captaincy incident happened just one week before the 2010 Delhi World Cup. It was not just me who wanted Prabhjot as captain, the whole team decided, voted and wanted him as captain. All players and staff nominated Prabhjot as captain before Hockey India came from outside the team like a bull in a china shop, and named Rajpal as captain. The players tried to convince Hockey India but failed to prevent them from taking that dictatorial decision.

Hockey India broke the internal cohesion of the team. As the team’s coach I knew the importance of our internal strength, we had been working on it for months, and Hockey India’s a stupid decision destroyed our months of hard work in seconds, and destroyed too, the hope of achieving an outstanding result.

Q. Who are the players you think have really improved during your stint as India coach?

Indian players are skillful in general and it is difficult to improve them in abilities. You should ask this question to the players who donned the national colours under me, it is for them to say if they like me as coach of the Indian team or not, and whether they have learned something important from me.

Many players were very happy having me as coach. Sardar Singh, Sandeep Singh, Prabhjot Singh,Vikram Pillay, DhananjayMahadik, Tushar Khandekar, Adrian D`Souza, Shivendra Singh, Sarvanjit Singh,Gurbaj Singh, Rajpal Singh, Arjun Halappa, VS Vinaya, PR Sreejesh, Dharamvir Singh, Danish Mujtaba, SV Sunil, Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Ravi Singh, Ravipal Singh, VR Raghunath ….. I believe the most of them. (some more are missed)

Q. Are you seeing any improvement in our penalty corner conversations after you left as India coach?

Now with V Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh India have more number of drag-flickers, which means more variations. Anyway India’s short corner conversions hasn’t been that great in top competitions over the last few years. But for me the best penalty corner solution in India was Sandeep Singh – my job was to get him to have the same performance he used to have during trainings.

Q. The fitness of the Indian team has really improved over the years. A big plus for the team.

I agree that the physical fitness of the Indian team has improved, and it has worked well for the team, but it is necessary to keep improving as the Indians are still lagging behind the physical fitness of Australians or Europeans.

Q. Would consider coaching India again if you are offered that job again?

Yes, of course. The experience of coaching such a talent bunch was wonderful, and I would like to continue my friendship with the players. But I will like to have a different contract having more control of the situation to avoid unwanted interferences that can be detrimental to the team.

I believe the Indian players like me as coach, but I’m not sure whether SAI or Hockey India officials are keen to have him in the coach seat. If Hockey India calls me I will go immediately.