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Arjun Halappa glided across the field against the muscular Australians. Yes, they were missing Jamie Dwyer but their arms were probably equivalent to the dynamic Indian captain’s thighs. Indeed it looked like a mismatch physically but nothing was going to deteriorate their spirit. I am speaking about India’s 1-1 draw against Australia in the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup. India ended up having a bad tournament, finishing sixth out of the seven teams. But the tournament was an eye-opener for me as I started getting deep into the grassroots of their style of play. The question is, why?
I am a Malaysian based in Ipoh itself, where the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is held annually and i was assigned to cover the progress of India during this year’s edition for Sportskeeda.com. 10 days of beautiful hockey. Not from the others but India. It was pretty astonishing considering the results. the Indian team got smashed by Pakistan, bashed by New Zealand and edged on two occasions by Korea. Nonetheless, I noticed something that seemed familiar to me. ‘Joga Bonito’.
Have you ever watched Stoke City play football in the English Premier League? Have you ever experienced that one moment when you feel like tearing apart Tony Pulis for his not-football style of play? Just make a simple comparison between the Potters and Barcelona. How do you feel watching the Catalans strut their stuff? Sublime, exciting, breathtaking, spellbinding and the terminology list goes on.
Going back to Hockey, I still have clear images of that first half match between India and Malaysia where the Indians took a quickfire 4-1 lead in the first half. That was probably the best hockey performance that I saw in quite some time. The positioning, work ethic, tactical awareness, etc etc. Everything was simply spot on during that first half. Stadium was packed with fans clad in Malaysian outfits. The atmosphere was against them. But yet, India made the host team go bonkers with their hockey definition.
Arjun Halappa lead the team by example
Going up against the Australians was never an easy task despite them being without Jamie Dwyer, who is arguably the best player of the current crop. They were far more superior physically and it was indeed a mountain to climb. But Arjun Halappa and his men stood to their policy and tortured the Australians with their smart defending. Mahadik’s brilliance on the field brought back vivid images of how Ajit Pal Singh graciously led India to the 1975 World Cup title. Am I overrating the current Indian Hockey team? With all the chaos and problems going on within the hockey set-up over there, which I do not wish to mention, I regard the current team as a blessing in disguise.
What about their bad results? None of them mattered. Because it was the small little issues that cost them the game. Fitness? What else do you expect with such limited training time ahead of a highly regarded international tournament. Tactical problems? I do not think so. India were far more superior in the first half against a first choice Pakistan side with the likes of Shakeel Abassi and Sohail Abbas providing ammunition. But things fell apart in the second half and i prefer to associate it with the missing ‘experience’ in the form of Sardar Singh, Sandeep Singh, Rajpal Singh.
The same scenario took place against New Zealand. So basically the foundation is there. It’s the small niggling issues which are rupturing the reputation of India. Being a small kid years ago, I only knew the Indian team whenever the word ‘hockey’ was mentioned. Why? The history and legacy speaks for itself. People say Lionel Messi is from another planet, but I regard Dhyan Chand as a player from another galaxy. Such was his talent that till today, I have a family friend of mine here in Ipoh that has a huge portrait of Dhyan Chand in his living room. A legend by all means!
You talk about Peter Schemeichel, Gordon Banks and others but in Shankar Lakshman, India had arguably the best goalkeeper it has ever produced. Not to forget Dhanraj Pillay who used to send chills down opposition spines prior to a match. These players were super-influential by their own characteristics and left a legacy that will live on.
Talk about the playmaker role in football and Xavi comes to your mind. Well, Arjun Halappa is something equivalent to him when it comes to hockey because the man ain’t got any height to compete. What he has is pure passion for the sport which drives him on through the field, creating openings for the strikers in front of him. Talk about Sohail Abbas being the best penalty corner taker currently but Rupinder Pal Singh is the ‘Neymar‘ of that specific art. Talk about hard-working strikers like Wayne Rooney and Shivendra Singh does all that for you guys. Speak about Dani Alves’ agility down the flanks and Gurbaj Singh comes to my mind.
The beauty is already present. The passion has been there for ages. Determination drives them on through every matches while the talent within the team is absolutely unquestionable. What’s the only missing piece in Indian Hockey’s jigsaw? Better management. That’s all they need. Indian Hockey is currently at a crossroad where everything it desires will collide with everything standing in it’s way. And I shall pray for the Indian Hockey player’s sake, I shall pray for the fan’s sak, for Indian Hockey’s sake. Because, good talent deserves better recognition. Chak De!
P/S: I am a Malaysian and I never meant to openly criticize anybody with this article. It’s just my noble and humble opinion on Indian Hockey and I designed it a simple way for everybody to share and understand it.
