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After perfecting the art of losing matches in the dying stages of the Hockey World Cup held in The Hague earlier this year, the Indian men's team seek to make amends in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. A relatively easy group-with only World champions Australia as a possible threat- saw India brush aside Wales, Scotland and South Africa with comparative ease. A loss to Australia did not stop them from progressing into the semi finals of the mega event and the players will look to erase the memories of a disastrous World Cup, where they finished a lowly ninth, as they search for a much needed medal.
The fall after the glory
The Indian hockey team is the most successful team in the history of the Olympics winning 6 consecutive gold medals between 1928 and 1956 with a total of 8 golds, 1silver and 2 bronze medals at the Olympics. On 9 March 2008, the team faced its biggest humiliation when it lost 2-0 to Britain in the final of the qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics. With only the winner advancing to the main event, the Indian team was eliminated, making it the first time that the team did not participate in the Games.
A string of bad performances followed where India finished 8th in the World Cup in Delhi, with the only win coming against arch rivals Pakistan, where they won 4-1 with Sandeep Singh scoring two goals. India also failed to qualify for the 2011 Champions Trophy and had to play the Champions Challenge instead.
Controversies surrounding Indian Hockey
A string of bad performances aside, Hockey India (HI) has been embroiled in a number of controversies.
2008 saw the HI being banned by Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi after it emerged the general secretary K Jothikumaran was found to be taking bribes.
Just before the Hockey World Cup in Delhi, the players went on a strike over payment delays and refused to participate in the preparatory camp, six weeks before the start of the Championships, until the issue was resolved.
Under coach Jose Brasa, the team failed to perform in front of the home crowd losing 2-5 to both Spain and Australia before salvaging a draw against South Africa. A few months later, they won the first medal in the CWG when they won silver after being thrashed 8-0 in the finals and lost the bronze medal match to South Korea in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Brasa accused the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and HI of ill treating him, despite favourable performances, leading to his removal.
The new coach Michael Nobbs too was sacked three years later on grounds of poor performances. A war of words followed as Nobbs stated he had "resigned" due to illness, bouts of depression and homesickness. He was replaced by Australian Ric Charlesworth who stepped down after the World Cup in Holland. The CWG squad is being coached by Terry Walsh.
Another talking point was when International Hockey Federation (FIH) withdrew Champions Trophy from New Delhi in 2011 due to poor governance in HI. Needless to say this move was met with a backlash, as it robbed the people of witnessing the sport, which would have helped revive its popularity.
A few Chak De moments
The hockey team has had its share of success in the recent past, although it's been far and few between.
The team won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in 2009 and 2010 only to finish sixth next year. They finished fourth in the Champions Trophy in 2012 after failing to qualify for the event the previous year.
A gold medal in 2007 and a silver in the 2013 Asia Cup along with the gold in the 2011 Asian Champions Trophy are the other achievements.
Besides the silver at the CWG in Delhi, the team also qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, defeating France 8-1 in the qualifiers. However, they could not win a single game in London and finished last. The few triumphs proves how the team has no dearth of talent, but the plague of inconsistency and the ability to crumble against pressure seems to haunt them.
The Hockey World Cup 2014
The Indian hockey team played well in phases at the recently concluded World Cup. The team lost 2-3 to Belgium in their opening game, conceding a goal in the last 15 seconds. A loss to England too followed, where they let the opposition score at the very last minute. A 4-0 drubbing to Australia and a draw versus Spain saw them finish fifth in the group stage. The only win came against Malaysia.
The only positive from the campaign was the emergence of goalkeeper Sreejesh, as the man India could rely upon. The Indian vice captain, who completed 100 international caps during the event made some brilliant saves. Indian goalkeepers have always been under pressure due to the weak defence. However, he held his nerve under pressure and earned the praise of captain Sardara Singh, who advised the team to rally behind the goalie in the future.
The way forward
The launch of the Hockey India League (HIL) by HI is a huge step forward where international players rub shoulders with youngsters. The tournament is sanctioned by FIH, who provide a 30 day window for the event. The main objective of the event is to give the Indian players the much needed exposure and also to help revive the dying interest in a game once regarded as India's "golden sport."
Lack of money and infrastructure is no reason for the failures as the Indian federation spent around 22.5 crore rupees last year in the development of the game. Add to that the revenue earned by the players in the HIL, and the lack of funds is no excuse for the inconsistency.
Olympian Leslie Claudius is sad at the state of affairs in the World of Indian hockey and advises the players to play as a team. “They have shown individual sparks of excellence and it's time they work together to being back hockey’s glory, lost in the last few years,” he said.
The team would be looking to do just that as they face New Zealand in the semifinals of the Commonwealth Games, sans their skipper Sardara Singh, who has been banned by the World body due to inappropriate behaviour in the last match against South Africa.
The destination seems far, but with hard work it is achievable.
