With Gurjinder on the bench, Rupinder Pal Singh’s (in pic above) failure to convert PCs becomes a more glaring error in team strategy.

India suffered second straight defeat in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after losing to Korea 2-1 in the game played today despite dominating the match for majority of the time. Here are the five things I learnt from the game played today:

Indian attack is a new headache for Michael Nobbs

Former Indian coaches used to face the problem of porous Indian defence and spent all the time in solving that problem with no success. Michael Nobbs came and nearly solved the problem by finding a couple of good defenders but now Michael Nobbs is facing another problem, this time with Indian attack. Just like World Hockey League, the performance of forward-line was disappointing and no one except Mandeep Singh was able to have some effect on the game. In the first half of the tournament, India had no shots on the goal and in the second half, there were not more than 5 attacks on the Korean goal. Right from Dhyan Chand to Shivendra Singh, Indian hockey was blessed with great attacking players but the current lot are nowhere near them in terms of talent. Just like he sorted out the problem of weak defence, Michael Nobbs will have to find a solution to India’s attacking problems.

Gurjinder Singh needs more playing time

Against Korea, India won four penalty corners and India’s first choice of PC expert Rupinder Pal Singh wasted all the penalty corners earned. While Rupinder was missing penalty corners, Gurjinder Singh on the bench was waiting for his turn to have a go on the Korean defence, but during the entire game didn’t get any chance to showcase his penalty corner skills. He was kept waiting on the bench and got very little playing time. And when the match was out of India’s hand, Gurjinder was sent on the field to play. Gurjinder Singh was top goal scorer of World Series Hockey and was also adjudged the best player of the tournament. Benching the player of such calibre does not make any sense. He was given very less playing time in World Hockey League and it has been same case in Azlan Shah. Is he the victim of hockey politics between IHF-HI despite doing well?

Harbir Singh is already running out of time

Absence of Raghunath in the tournament had given an opportunity to young Harbir Singh to stake his claim in the squad but his performance so far has been a big disappointment. Against Korea today, he was erratic and made many mistakes. He also conceded three penalty corners in the early first half which allowed Korea to take a lead. Many would say, he is young and must be given time to prove himself, but making mistakes like that would not help him stay in the team. He still has few matches to play in the tournament but it’s time for him to make an overnight improvement in his game to be able to keep his place in the team.

Mandeep is the star of Indian team

India’s teenage sensation Mandeep Singh has improved with every game played so far for India and today against Korea too he was a treat to watch. He was the only player of the squad who was actually trying to create chances to score. He, along with Manpreet Singh and Malek Singh created the first goal for India and constantly kept on working out a way to score another goal. Despite him not being on the score sheet, he has it in him to go on to become one of the best players in the world.

Sreejesh is indispensable

P.R. Sreejesh

The way he has been performing for the squad, there is no other keeper in India who can threaten his numero uno status. Since his debut, he has been a regular in the Indian team and no Indian squad is complete without him. Today against Korea, he was once again standing like a wall and thwarting off Korean attacks on his goal. He was brilliant during penalty corners and if not for him, India would have conceded 3-4 goals in the first half of the game itself. He did concede two goals against Korea today but those goals were none of his fault. Sreejesh today is very important for the team, and keeping him away for the squad is going to be a big blunder.

FILE PHOTO: India faced its second consecutive defeat in the tournament as South Korea defeated them 2-1.

A young Indian team suffered its second straight defeat in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, this time against the Korean side with the score line of 2-1 in the round robin encounter. India, who lost their first game against Australia 3-4, failed to hit the top gear in the match while the Koreans made most of the Indian mistakes.

The early part of the game was dominated by India but they failed to put on a major attack to threaten the Korean goal despite having most of the possession. As the game progressed, the play shifted to the midfield with neither of the teams able to unlock the opponent’s defence. The play was quite uneventful in the first 20 minutes of the game with neither team taking any chances.

When it looked like the half would end with no goals for either side, Koreans launched wave after wave of attack, pressurising the Indian defence. Korea won 5 penalty corners in the first half of the game, three of which were due to the mistakes of Harbir Singh. In the 29th minute of the play, Korea finally converted a penalty corner to take well deserving 1-0 lead. Korea continued to attack after the goal, but failed to score. Indian keeper PR Sreejesh was having a great time under the sticks as he thwarted attack after attack of the Korean team. If not for Sreejesh, Indian team would have been 3-4 goals down by the end of the first half. Korea had a total of 5 shots at Indian goal in the first half while the Indian team had none to show in response.

After a sloppy first half, Indian team responded well in the second half and started creating chances to score. A beautiful combination between Malak and Mandeep brought India on level terms in the 39th minute of the game with Malak Singh scoring the equaliser. Manpreet Singh ran into the Korean half on a break-away move and passed it to Mandeep who made a superb overlapping run from the right. He then pushed the ball for Malak in front of the goal, and the youngster made no mistake to make it 1-1. With that goal, India’s confidence increased and the team started creating moves to get a lead. The attacks earned India 4 penalty corners but poor conversion by Rupinder Pal Singh meant India failed to make the most of them.

India’s inability to convert the penalty corners and a green card to midfielder Manpreet Singh gave Korea a chance to punish India. Down to 10 men, India came under pressure from the Koreans and Kang scored in the 60th minute to give Korea a 2-1 lead. Indian strikers continued to create chances and won a couple of penalty corners but Rupinder failed to score while India’s other penalty corner expert Gurjinder Singh sitting on the bench, waiting for his turn to play.

With just a couple of minutes to go, India succumbed under pressure and failed to create any chances to level the scores. Koreans cut the Indian supply in the last few minutes to earn their first victory of the tournament.

After a second consecutive defeat in the tournament, India will now face arch-rivals Pakistan on 12th March.

Final Result:

Korea – 2 (Kang Moon Kweon, Kang)

India – 1 (Malak Singh)

Moritz Fuerste and Teun de Nooijer will be up against each other in the HIL clash tomorrow (FILE PHOTO)

Venue: The Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi (Capacity – 5000)

Date: 24^th January

Time: 6:00 PM

Broadcaster: ESPN (English Commentary) and Star Cricket (Hindi Commentary)

After suffering a narrow defeat against table toppers Delhi Wizards, Ranchi Rhinos will face Uttar Pradesh Wizards, who played a 2-2 draw against Punjab Warriors in their last match, for the battle of the second place tomorrow (24th January). Both the teams would be looking to kick-start their campaign once again after missing out on victories in their last games.

Captain Moritz Fuerste and Dutchman Floris Evers have been impressive for Ranchi Rhinos but it is young striker Mandeep Singh who has been scoring important goals to deliver results for Ranchi Rhinos. Despite having a young team, Ranchi Rhinos have been doing very well and with Moritz Fuertse manning the midfield along with Ashley Jackson, they are sure to give Uttar Pradesh Wizards a hard time on the field. One cause of concern for Ranchi Rhinos is their lack of Penalty Corner conversions (they missed 5 out of 5 against Delhi Waveriders) and they’d definitely work on not missing out on these opportunities.

For UP Wizards, it’s the forward line of Teun de Nooijer, Tushar Khandker, S.K. Uthappa and Jeroen Hertzberger who are a big threat to the opposition. They have not been among goals but they are finally starting to link together in the game. Another big threat for Ranchi Rhinos is their penalty corner expert Raghunath who has scored 4 goals in the tournament so far.

Uttar Pradesh Wizards have so far played 4 games in the tournament and have won two and drawn two, and are the second place in the HIL standings. Ranchi Rhinos, on the other hand, have lost steam after making a rousing start to their campaign and would love to register a victory after missing out on victory in the last game.

Last time when these two teams met each other, goals by Raghunath and Hertzberger gave Uttar Pradesh Wizards a 2-0 victory.

Players to watch out:

Tomorrow’s game is going to be treat for the fans when they see two best midfielders of the world, Teun De Nooijer of UP Wizards and Moritz Fuertse of Ranchi Rhinos in action. Both the team’s attack are not doing well, so it’s going to be a battle of the midfield when Ranchi face Uttar Pradesh.

Though tomorrow’s game is build up as the battle of midfield but it’s the strikers who will play key role tomorrow. For UP Wizards, it’s Tushar Khandker who will play major role. He has not been among the goals in the Hockey India League but he has had his impact on the games and caused problem for the opposition.

While for Ranchi Rhinos, Mandeep Singh is going to be a trump card. If not for Mandeep Singh, Ranchi Rhinos would have struggled to score. Mandeep Singh has taken good advantage of the ball pumped by Moritz Fuertse & co. in the midfield so far and the team is expected to do the same against Uttar Pradesh Wizards.

Form Guide:

Uttar Pradesh Wizards: DWDW

Ranchi Rhinos: LLWW

Coaches:

Uttar Pradesh Wizards: Rolant Oltmans

Ranchi Rhinos: Gregg Clark

Prediction - Despite not performing so well in the tournament, UP Wizards are undefeated so far and it’s just a question of when this undefeated streak will end. I am banking on Ranchi Rhinos to break this undefeated streak of UP Wizards tomorrow.

Venue : Surjit Singh Stadium, Jalandhar (Capacity – 7000)

Broadcaster: Star Sports (Hindi Commentary), Star Cricket (English Commentary)

Date: 22 January, 2013

Time : 8:00 PM (IST)

Getting back up after losing three games in a row is a tough task, but hats off to Jaypee Punjab Warriors who displayed their true character and defeated Mumbai Magicians 4-2 in a hard fought game at MHA stadium in Mumbai. Punjab Warriors will be seeking their first home win when they face table toppers Uttar Pradesh Wizards tomorrow in Hockey India League who are yet to lose a game in the tournament.

Punjab Warriors were a frustrated lot because of their lack of goals in the tournament but Monday’s game gave them a sigh of relief as four of their players, including Captain Jamie Dwyer, entered the scoring chart. The performance against Mumbai should give them confidence to face Wizards, who are riding high after winning twice and drawing once.

Teun de Nooijer will be the key player for UP Wizards (FILE PHOTO)

Uttar Pradesh Wizards, who are yet to lose a game in the tournament, are a well drilled defensive unit led by Raghunath. They will give a tough test to Punjab Warriors who are known for their attack. Wizards, despite doing well in the defence, still have a problem with their PC conversions, with Raghunath unable to convert the penalty corners won by them. Raghunath might not be doing well at the moment but he is still a big threat to Punjab Warriors who are currently facing defensive problems of their own.

With the likes of Teun de Nooijer, Eddie Ockenden, David Alegre along with Tushar Khandekar in the attack, UP Wizards are currently the favourites to win the game after beating Punjab Warriors 2-1 in their last meeting.

Players to watch out for:

Punjab Warriors – Jamie Dwyer - Punjab Warriors will be banking on the expertise of captain Jamie Dwyer who played a big part in victory against Mumbai Warriors. The 32 year old has been carrying Punjab team on his shoulders and it’s time for experienced Indian campaigners like Shivendra Singh and SV Sunil to stand and deliver. At the back, Punjab needs to give some cover to Jaap Stockmann who has been facing problems in the goal due to a leaky defence.

Uttar Pradesh Wizards – Teun de Nooijer - For UP Wizards, Teun de Nooijer will be the key player as he will aim to exploit the weak defence of Punjab Warriors. With experienced campaigners like Tushar Khandekar and Raghunath in the side with him, Teun is likely to create havoc to the Punjab Warriors’ defence.

Coaches: 

Mumbai - Ric Charlesworth (Australia)

Delhi - AK Bansal (India)

Tomorrow’s game is expected to be an absolute cracker with both teams going for free scoring. It’ll be interesting to see which team breaks the scoring charts to get the victory.

Mumbai Magicians failed to draw their opening match by a whisker

On a high after beating title favourites Punjab Warriors in the opening game of the tournament, Ranchi Rhinos will be looking to challenge Delhi WaveRiders for the top spot of Hockey India League when they face Mumbai Magicians, who are caught up in the problem of their own.

Ranchi Rhinos, led by Germany hockey star Moritz Fuertse, gave a solid display against Punjab Warriors despite Punjab having most of the possession. Mumbai on the other hand, were whiskers away from drawing their opening game against Delhi WaveRiders but for Sandeep Singh’s penalty stroke in the last minute, which hit the post, they couldn’t open their points tally. Ranchi Rhinos’ Moritz Fuertse and his English team-mate Ashley Jackson carried the team on the shoulders against Punjab Warriors to give them victory. So it’s going to be another tough task for Mumbai Magicians to stop the dynamic duo of Ranchi.

Team and form guide

Ranchi Rhinos are strong on paper as well as on the field and their spirited performance against Punjab Warriors despite having many Indian players in their side, drove this point home. Ranchi Rhinos have a strong defence and midfield which makes life difficult for the opponent strike force. Their midfield comprises of big names like Moritz Fuertse, Ashley Jackson and Manpreet Singh while their defence is in the hands of experienced campaigners like Justin-Reid Ross and Fergus Kavanagh.

Mumbai Magicians, who are still coming to terms with the loss of their 4 Pakistani players, are a worried lot after Sandeep Singh’s missed penalty stroke sealed their defeat in the opening game of the tournament. Mumbai Magicians have a weak team and when topped up with lack of experienced players, it makes it difficult even for a coach like Ric Charleswoth to get good results. Matt Butturini will have to take the responsibility along with Sarvanjit Singh to score at least a couple of goals early in the game to give Mumbai some hope.

Players to watch out for:

Manpreet Singh (FILE PHOTO)

Ranchi Rhinos – Manpreet Singh – The year 2012 has been great for him and he looks to have carried the same form to 2013. His support in the defence will allow experienced campaigners like Mortiz Fuertse and Ashley Jackson to go out and wreak havoc on Mumbai’s defence. Also, the performance of Dutch striker Floris Evers will make a huge impact in the outcome of the game.

Mumbai Magicians – Sandeep Singh – His morale is low; his shoulders are down, he’s still not good in defence and he looks to have lost his edge in the penalty corners too. Sandeep Singh, despite having tough time on the field, will have to shoulder all the responsibilities as his team-mates will be looking up to him to conjure some magic. Sandeep’s performance tomorrow will matter a lot and his performance could be the only difference in defeat and victory for Mumbai.

Coaches:

Ranchi Rhinos: Glegg Clark

Mumbai Magicians: Ric Charlesworth

Prediction: Well, as all the games so far have ended with the score of 2-1 so far, I’m also predicting a score of 2-1 in the favour of Ranchi Rhinos.

Delhi’s Sardar Singh and Mumbai’s Sandeep Singh will be battling it out against each other on Wednesday.

Venue : Major Dhyan Singh Stadium, New Delhi (Capacity – 16,200)

Broadcaster: Star Sports (Hindi Commentary), Star Cricket (English Commentary)

Date: 16 January  2013

Time : 8:00 PM (IST)

After a day’s break, Hockey India League is back with two big encounters – one of them pipping Sardara Singh led Delhi WaveRiders against India’s star penalty corner expert Sandeep Singh’s Mumbai Magicians. Delhi WaveRiders, who beat Punjab Warriors in the opening game of Hockey India League 2-1 will be looking to win two matches in a row against a Mumbai side which has been dealt a blow a day before the game. Mumbai Magicians will be missing their 4 Pakistani players due to protests by a political outfit.

A goal each from Oskar Deecke and Gurvinder Singh Chandi gave Delhi a much deserved victory over Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Delhi WaveRiders would like to keep the momentum going against Mumbai Magicians. The absence of PC expert Taeke Taekema did hurt Delhi as Rupinder Pal Singh failed to convert all the 3 chances they got against Punjab Warriors. Their opponents Mumbai Magicians would be keen to make a confident start to their Hero Hockey India League campaign, especially in an away game. All eyes would be on Magicians’ top star Sandeep Singh. Sandeep is a proven performer at the highest level, and the onus would be on him to deliver the goods. Magicians’ fortunes in Wednesday’s match, as well as in the tournament, would depend a lot on Sandeep Singh’s form.

Team News

There are currently no fitness concerns for Delhi WaveRiders and they won’t have any problem with Pakistani players being sent home from the tournament. Delhi has only two players from Pakistan among their squad of 24 and missing those two will not affect the team much. Sardara Singh and Gurvinder Singh Chandi are in red hot form and once again, they will be expected to wreak havoc against the Mumbai Magicians’ defence.

On the other hand, Mumbai Magicians is one weak team in the tournament currently. Gods haven’t been kind towards them so far. The team is surely unsettled by the abrupt halting of their practice session and changing of base from Mumbai to Delhi in just a couple of days. Mumbai Magicians will also miss the Pakistani players (they have highest number, 4) playing for their side. The onus will be again on Sandeep Singh who has a point to prove after being dropped from the national side.

Players to watch out for:

Gurvinder Singh Chandi has been most impressive for Delhi

Delhi WaveRiders – Gurvinder Chandi - He was the most impressive player on the pitch in the game against Punjab Warriors and you can expect more fireworks from him as the tournament progresses. Supported by Oskar Deecke and Sardara Singh, the threat of Gurvinder Chandi multiplies. The defence of Mumbai Magicians will have to keep him marked and quiet throughout the game to have any chance of winning.

Mumbai Magicians – Sandeep Singh - The whole of Mumbai Magicians team will be depending on Sandeep Singh to score goals for the team and even carry out the defensive duties. Sandeep is the most experienced player of the squad and the whole team will be looking up to him. He will have to lead from the front and give Mumbai a much needed victory.

Coaches:

Delhi WaveRiders: Ajay Kumar Bansal (India)

Mumbai Magicians: Ric Charlesworth (Australia)

Prediction: Things are not going to be easy for Mumbai Magicians and in-form Delhi are surely going to make their life difficult. I predict a Delhi win with score line of 3-0.

Did You Know: Sandeep Singh has been known for producing the fastest speed off a drag flick (145 kmph).

Let’s take a trip down the memory lane and check out how the year 2012 has been for Indian hockey:

The Flying Start

The year started with just one question in everyone’s mind, will India qualify for the Olympics after failing to do so the last time in 2008? The answer was Yes, and No. Indian men’s team, after beating France 8-1 in the final of the Olympics qualifiers, did reach the Olympics after a gap of eight years but on the other hand, the women’s team, which has been trying to qualify for last 32 years, failed yet again after losing to South Africa 3-1 in the final. Indian men’s team scored 44 goals in the 6 matches played, averaging 7 goals per game with Sandeep Singh top-scoring with 16 goals in the tournament.

India’s victory in the final of Olympics qualifiers once again brought hockey into limelight and India, which is known for its addiction to cricket, once again fell in love with hockey. Rajesh Kalra, the chief editor to Times of India wrote – ‘The Indian national anthem played at the end of the presentation ceremony. I had goose pimples listening to it as all other around sang out aloud. As I looked around, I noticed a gentleman near me, his eyes turned moist. Such feelings and emotions just cannot be described’ which just said one thing, India was once again in love with hockey.

The Rebel Rises

At the time when Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) were at loggerheads, Nimbus Sports teamed with IHF to come out with World Series Hockey (WSH), an event every Indian fan had been waiting for. In the era of IPL and EPL, the arrival of World Series Hockey was just the boost Indian hockey needed. Nimbus sports signed up big names of the Indian team and world hockey for its inaugural edition. Hockey India, the ruling body of hockey in India, did not allow the participation of Indian players in the tournament, and so the tournament went ahead without the presence of top Indian and foreign players.

Despite the absence of top players of the world, the tournament was a huge success with the stadium pulling large crowds and TV viewership reaching 31.36 million for the inaugural edition. The tournament brought in the limelight many youngsters like Devinder Walmiki, Gurjinder Singh, Lalit Upadhyay among others and also resurrected the career of seasoned players like Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakur and Arjun Halappa. Though the tournament was labelled ‘unsanctioned’ by Hockey India and Federation of International Hockey (FIH), the ratings suggested that the it was huge success.

The Mighty Fall

After the success in Olympics Qualifiers and World Series Hockey, Indian hockey was on a rise and there was a general feeling that there was nothing that could derail the upward climb of Indian hockey. Just when everything looked good, came the mighty fall which shook Indian hockey to the core. Everyone, from former players to fans, was expecting just one thing from Indian team, the Gold medal. But the fate had something else in mind for Indian hockey. The current players promised medal to the fans and former players but their performance in the Olympics was an embarrassment for every Indian hockey fan.

Indian team, under Captain Bharat Chetri failed to win or even draw a single game in the tournament, finishing at a disappointing 12^th place, getting the wooden spoon for the first time in its decorated history. The Indian team promised to play 70 mins of good hockey, and did manage to play 70 mins of good hockey, but over the course of full tournament. After starting on a positive note (yes, we lost but played well), the performance started deteriorating and by the end of the Olympics, Indian hockey team just looked like a domestic level team without any motivation and power to fight back.

Hockey – Nothing official about it

So when the fans thought what else can go wrong for Indian hockey after a disastrous Olympics, an RTI query from a 10 year old kid gave India a big blow – The government announced that Hockey was never the national game of India, not officially at least.

Less said about it, the better. Not even the most cynical fan could have expected something like this to happen to Indian hockey, ever.

The 100 year war?

Just like the historic war between England and France, the war between Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India keeps stretching on and on with each other threatening to destroy Indian hockey to gain power. Various committees, including one from Federation of International Hockey, were formed to solve the problems between IHF and HI but it looks like a never ending battle. The poor performance in the Olympics also fuelled the fire between these two. Looking at the current situation between these two, it might be possible for Indian hockey team to win a medal in the Olympics, but it looks unlikely for the war between these two to ever end.

The Slow Rise

After going through ups and downs throughout 2012, Indian team was invited to play Champions Trophy after a long gap of 6 years. It was looking like a money making exercise by FIH, but the performance of Indian team suggested otherwise. Indian team reached the semi-finals of Champions Trophy after 8 years where they lost to Pakistan, just like they did in 2003 and 2004. Also, India finished runners up in the Asian Champions Trophy which suggested that Indian hockey was slowly is getting back on track. The best thing about these performances was that it was a young team in the absence of seasoned stars, which helped India reach achieve these results.

A Legend Lost

At a time when the Indian team was on a slow rise, Indian hockey lost another pillar, this time legend Leslie Claudius. Claudius was being treated for cirrhosis of liver and had to be hospitalised four times in the past 11 months. Like on the hockey pitch, he battled hard and came out out winner more often than not, before finally succumbing on the afternoon of 20th December, 2012.

An eminent member of India’s golden generation, Claudius storied career saw him winning three Olympic gold medals – 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne) – and a silver (1960, Rome). He along with Udham Singh, were the only two players in the history of hockey to have won four Olympic medals. Leslie Claudius might have left this world, but he still keeps on inspiring hockey players all over India.

The Competition brews up

And finally on the lines of IPL in cricket, Hockey India came out with its own league – the Hockey India League to compete with Indian Hockey Federation backed World Series Hockey. Hockey India roped in all the top players of the world in 30 days, for a 5 team (one team still unsold) tournament. Sardar Singh fetched the highest price of Rs. 42,90,000 among the Indians in the auctions, with teammate V.R. Raghunath going for Rs. 41,80,000. The costliest player of the auctions was Dutch veteran Teun De Nooijer. Hockey India League, which begins on January 14, will surely keep fans glued to TV.

The year 2012 has been a year to forget, with disappointments on all sides – from performing badly in the Olympics, to losing a legend. I just hope that the year 2013 breathes a new life in Indian hockey.

1. Ranchi Rhinos

2. Punjab Warriors

3. Mumbai Magicians

4. Delhi Wave Riders

5. Uttar Pradesh Wizards

Time to choose your allegiance. Which team will you support in Hockey India League?

Minute by Minute of the Hockey India League Live auction here

At 28, Oliver Korn, the 2 time Olympic Gold medallist for Germany (Beijing 2008, London 2012), is one of the most decorated players in the game currently. An enforcing midfielder, the German recently signed up for the inaugural Hockey India League. He has scored 26 goals for Germany in 130 matches and has been part of the teams which won FIH Champions Trophy (2007) were 2nd best in FIH Champions Trophy (2009) and FIH World Cup (2010). He was in conversation with Sportskeeda recently. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Two back to back Gold medals in the Olympics, how does it feel to win biggest hockey tournament twice in a row?

Winning one Gold medal in the Olympics is a big feat, but winning it twice is absolutely amazing. Winning the Gold medal in the Olympics is the biggest title a player can achieve in his life and I am really proud of having won it twice. After three wonderful weeks in London, it took us a while to realise that we did it again.

This time around, you were not the favourites to win the Gold as many backed Australia, so how did you make it possible?

Australia could have been the favourites among hockey fans to win the Gold in the London 2012 but we knew that we have a strong and experienced team and the belief that we could beat anyone to win the Gold. No doubt, the teams like Australia and Netherlands give you tough challenge, so it was a possibility that we could lose against them but it was our focus that got us through. The coach had drilled the winning attitude among us along with concentration and with a bit of luck, we were able to beat the top teams and win Gold. Also, the team that played in Olympics was younger when compared to other teams in the tournament.

What was so special about this team?

The teams that played in Beijing Olympics and London Olympics were totally different. Although the team that played in London was very young in age but we had many experienced and talented players. The main reason of our success was our focus.

We took one game at a time and focused really hard on it. And it was not just the players, the supporting staff (coaches and physiotherapist) was also focused on our target and this strategy paid dividends and rest is history.

Going on a personal level, how did you get hooked with hockey?

My grandfather was the one who brought hockey in the family. I started really young, at the age of 5 and it was not hockey but football. I used to attend training sessions over there before my mother’s friend took me for a hockey training session at Düsseldorfer Hockey Club. One hockey training session, and I never went to soccer training again. The love with hockey continued since that day. Apart from playing, I train a kid’s team of my new club, Club de Campo twice a week before we train ourselves.

Who was your mentor who helped you reach the level you are at today?

My former coach in Düsseldorf, Volker Fried (captain of the 1992 gold team of Germany) had a great influence on my career. I worked with him for 10 years and he helped me a lot in becoming the player that I am today.

So, what is hockey like in Germany; the professionalism, domestic structure, league structure, etc?

There are 12 teams in the German “Hockeyliga”. The teams come from cities all over the country (Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Mannheim, etc.). Every team has 22 games and after this round, the top four teams make it to the Final Four with semifinal and final to follow.

Unfortunately, there are not many people watching the games. This (attendance at stadiums) is much better in India.

How was your experience in playing in EHL, Europe’s biggest hockey competition?

Playing against the best teams in Europe, with the best players and a lot of spectators, is a always a great challenge and a lot of fun. Winning the EHL with Uhlenhorster Hockey Club last year was one of the best things I ever achieved in hockey. In search of a new challenge, I moved to Club de Campo where the first season was a bit difficult and we struggled a bit. It turned around after a great win Uhlenhorst Mülheim and we were very happy to go through to KO16.

What is the next target of Oliver Korn?

On the club level, the first target is to play a great season with Club de Campo in the Spanish league and EHL. With the German national team, first target is upcoming Champions Trophy. We would like to beat Australia and break their record of winning back to back in Champions Trophy. With a young team, we really want to perform well and win in Melbourne. We hope to take our Olympics form in the Champions Trophy and win the tournament.

Your favourite hockey player, both past and current and what you learnt from them?

Christoph Eimer is the best midfielder I have ever played with. He always made tough things look very simple and is one of the most intelligent players hockey has ever produced. From current players, I would say Jamie Dwyer. It is always a pleasure to watch him when he’s on the field.

Let’s shift some focus towards India. India was once a major powerhouse in hockey but today the game is in a very bad condition. What could be the reason according to you?

I think India has got really good players and despite the scoreline, at the end, it’s never easy to beat the Indian team. The match we played against India in the Olympics was really a tough one. I guess the main problem with the Indian team is their consistency. At the moment, they are unable to manage to play 7 good games during a major tournament.

You have played against India, what are the strong and weak points of the Indian team?

India’s attacking play is well known all over the world and it is very difficult to defend against them. India has many skilled players and you have to be very concentrated to keep them from scoring. On the other hand, I think their defense is not as good as their offense. With a bit more focus on defense, the Indian team can become a real force in world hockey.

Also, you have joined Hockey India League, what are your expectations from this tournament?

I am expecting huge crowds in the stadium. We do not get many fans in Germany. Hockey in India is much bigger than in Germany and I always love playing in front of large crowds. It’s great that Hockey India is organising such a great tournament that will help us showcase our talent in front of millions of Indian hockey fans.

What does India require to climb back to the top and compete against Germany and Australia?

Instead of changing their style of play and following others’, they should definitely keep playing their own style of hockey. Also, they should try to be more consistent during a tournament.

What advice would you like to give to the young and upcoming hockey players?

Always keep believing in your dreams. Work hard and enjoy what you are doing.

Any message for the fans?

The hockey fans in India are amazing!! I am really excited to play in front of huge, enthusiastic crowd.

Can’t wait for the start of HIL in January. See you guys in India!

Sardar Singh and Jamie Dwyer – brand ambassadors of Hockey India League

It has been an eventful week for Indian hockey. Just two days after signing 10 Australian players, Hockey India has signed 9 players from New Zealand, 8 from South Africa and 4 players from Germany, who’ll join 14 Pakistan players and 90 Indian players, to be chosen in 6 teams for Hockey India League, beginning on January 15.

The signings by Hockey India League come as a big blow to the Indian Hockey Federation backed World Series Hockey, which is already facing a lot of trouble with the players and the FIH, hockey’s world governing body. The star signings by Hockey India League is threatening to turn World Series Hockey into hockey’s ICL.

After the debacle in London, something big was needed to rediscover hockey’s charm in India, and facing threat from WSH, Hockey India came out with its own league, which now has the star power of Jamie Dwyer, Moritz Fuertse, Dean Couzins and Justin Reid-Ross.

India, where star power draws big crowds, Hockey India has hit the bull’s eye by signing most of the big names of world hockey. It is a clear fact that the league is as good as the players. If we take the example of cricket, Indian Premier League is bigger than Bangladesh Premier League or Sri Lanka Premier League, simply because of one reason – star power. All the big names in the world of cricket either play or want to play in IPL, which makes it the best T20 tournament in the world. Hockey India League, which is based on IPL, has signed all the big names of international hockey. It means World Series Hockey, who cashed in on the growing interest in hockey after India’s qualification in the Olympics, will once again have to work with the younger players, like they did the last time.

Compared to last year, the scenario has totally changed. Last year, hockey fandom was at its peak after Olympics qualification and everyone wanted more hockey. But today, after a disastrous performance in London Olympics, the optimism has hit its nadir and the fans of hockey have decreased drastically. Even some of the die-hard fans have said goodbye to the game.

Gurjinder Singh – highest scorer in the first season of WSH

So, the only thing that will attract the crowds once again to hockey, is the player power and clearly, World Series Hockey does not have the same to attract the crowd.

Apart from the player power, another thing against World Series Hockey, is the lack of backing from FIH. Hockey India League enjoys full support of FIH and the world governing body has even carved out a separate window for the cash rich tournament, which will allow players from every nation to compete in it. On the other hand, World Series Hockey, under Indian Hockey Federation has been declared an unsanctioned tournament which is keeping the players away.

One of the major attractions of last year’s tournament was the participation of players from Pakistan, who dazzled the crowds with their skills and earned many fans. This time though, even the Pakistan players, who participated in the first season of WSH, will miss the action as the dates of second edition of World Series Hockey clashes with the 2^nd edition of Asian Champions Trophy. And surely, people would rather watch the best in Asia compete in a tournament rather than watching a league with no big names.

No doubt that World Series Hockey came as a boon for Indian hockey, as it has brought some new and exciting talent along with reinstating some previously discarded players. Gurjinder Singh, Harpal Singh, Karan Bhaskaran, Lalit Upadhyay, Devinder Walmiki are just few of the young guns who stole the show by showcasing their talent. Even they must feel that their time with World Series Hockey is up. Every player has just one dream – representing his county, and same must be the case with the young players who were part of first season of WSH. Despite performing really well in the league and the recently concluded national hockey championships, these players find themselves out of the probable list (at best, on a ‘standby list’) due to just one reason – that they played in WSH and thus, were banned for 1 year. And with Hockey India League coming and the players getting good money, it will be not be easy for World Series Hockey to hang on to these players.

Right now, everything seems to be going against World Series Hockey and if it has to prosper, or even survive, then it can just hope that FIH restores IHF as the National Sports Federation for hockey in India. But going by the current scenario, the balance is heavily tilted in the favour of Hockey India.

Recently concluded hockey national championships were overshadowed by World Series Hockey players who performed brilliantly. The players who were forced to miss London Olympics, due to a ban by FIH were brilliant in the field and made a point to Hockey India that they were wrong to discard these players. Out of three individual awards, two awards (best defender and best forward) were won by players who had participated in the World Series Hockey.

Players like Gurjinder Singh, Bharat Chikkara and Devinder Walmiki impressed the fans with their performance but it was Arjun Halappa who impressed the most. Arjun’s performance for Air India was instrumental in helping them reach the final of the tournament. He was also adjudged the best forward of the tournament among all forwards of 34 teams.

Last year when Arjun Halappa was sacked from the team due to old age (the actual reason being his verbal protest against team management), the wisdom of selectors was questioned as he was the main playmaker of the team for nearly 10 years. Arjun Halappa started as forward, and then shifted to right half position even though it was evident that he was most suitable in the centre half position. A perfect team player, he changed his position in order to accommodate other talented players in the centre of the field.

After his sacking from the Indian team, Arjun Halappa has nearly carried his WSH team Karnataka Lions and Air India almost on his shoulders, and despite his age of 31, Arjun still has the ability to play for India for the next 5 years.

In the Olympics, Indian team missed a player who could hold on to the ball, control the tempo and distribute it to other players. India tried Sardara Singh in the role of a playmaker but he was forced to help them in the defence and could not move ahead and control the proceedings during a game.

At the age of 31, Arjun Halappa is still in his peak and mature enough to handle the responsibility of commanding the team in the field. His presence in the field will give Indian team a stability which was missed during the Olympics.

The current Indian team lacks composure and creativity and there is no other player who can fill the role of a playmaker (not even Sardara Singh). India has only Arjun in its ranks and he must be straight away asked to join the team and take the responsibility of controlling the game.

Arjun is one of the most experienced campaigners of India, and his experience will be very important for the Indian team. Despite being the most talented player of India, his skills have not been utilized by the team management.

Hockey India officials must forget the rivalry with Indian Hockey Federation. At the earliest they need to take Arjun Halappa in the team because he is a warrior who must be back in the war zone and without him, victory is impossible.

India’s striker Yuvraj Walmiki‘s biggest regret is missing London Olympics due to a hamstring injury during Olympics Qualifiers which kept him out of the game for nearly 6 months. He tried to make a comeback in Sultan Azlan Shah but he could not impress the selectors to secure a berth in the team to London Olympics.

After spending nearly a year in wilderness, Walmiki finally got invited for third time to Germany to play in second division club, TGF Frankenthal. The invitation was all Yuvraj needed to prove that he is back.

His two month stint with the club has proved to be quite fruitful as he scored 4 goals for the club in 6 games played. It’s not just the number of goals that make his case of team selection, it’s the improvement in his overall game that is making all the noises.

Yuvraj Walmiki, who played as striker in the Indian team has changed his playing position and moved to centre half position for his club TGF Frankenthal.

For his third stint with the club, he made his motto to learn European style defense and implement his learning in the Indian style of hockey. He said, “I am playing as centre half here for last because my motto is to learn defence and want to implement (it) in Indian attacking style.”

The stint with the club has not gone great as he got hurt while defending a short corner. During a penalty corner, ball hit him just above his eye and inflicted a 2 cm deep wound above his right eye which kept him out of the game. Talking about his injury, he said, “It’s Ok now (wound), got hurt yesterday while defending short corner. Drag flick was straight on my head and it gave me a 2cm cut. The ball hit nearly my eye and I was lucky..”

The injury did not deter him from his path of making comeback though he was forced to miss a game due to it. But on his return, he scored a goal to make his intentions clear.

He is really happy playing for the club and his third stint with the team has proved quite fruitful for him, “It’s always good to play here as I get to learn so many things. Hockey played here is totally different from the hockey played back in India. The tactics used, the technique and man to man marking has helped me lot.”

Talking about his return to the team, Yuvraj Walmiki said, that he is now fully fit and ready to grab his place back in the team after staying out of the team for nearly an year. “I am fully fit now and in a good rhythm. I am looking forward to make a strong come back in the team again” he signed off.

We just hope that Yuvraj Walmiki makes a strong comeback in the team and helps Indian team to get back on its feet after a poor show in the Olympics.

Legend is certainly the most overused word in the sporting fraternity but for Teun De Nooijer, it is just another feather to his cap.

After 18 years of entertaining the hockey fans around the world, Teun De Nooijer hangs his boots from international hockey. His retirement leaves a huge void in the world of hockey which will not be easy to fill.

Hockey has produced many greats from the likes of Dhyan Chand of the early era to Jamie Dwyer of modern hockey but no player can ever come near him when compared to his list of achievements. Three time world player of the year (only Jamie Dwyer has won more), 2 Olympics Gold Medal, and 1 World Cup win are just a few points of his long list of achievements in a career spanning nearly 18 years.

Nooijer started playing hockey when he was only 9 years old, alongside his brothers. At 11, he joined up with HC Alkmaar and was selected in Netherlands under-16 team two years later. At the age of 15 he was moved to senior team of HC Alkmaar and 2 years later, De Nooijer joined HC Bloemendaal.

A big fan of Netherlands football legend Johan Cruyff, Teun De Nooijer changed his jersey no. to 14 from 11 to honour the great player and has worn it till this day for his country and his club.

By the time of his debut (4th June 1994) against New Zealand, Teun De Nooijer was already a big name in Netherlands with former players and fans becoming great admirers of his talent, it just took him two years to make his mark in the international arena when he helped Netherlands win Gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics by scoring two goals in the tournament.

Nooijer was known for his brilliance on the field and was a very versatile attacker. He will be remembered not just as one of the best players of his generation but also one of the greatest to have ever played the game. Teun De Nooijer earned a world record 453 caps for Netherlands and 219 goals in his career. His frightening speed, amazing skills, spectacular passes and stunning finishing earned him admiration throughout the world and saw him named as the FIH Player of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

In the year 1998, playing his second World Cup (he finished second in 1994 WC), Teun was an instrumental piece in the Dutch squad’s gold medal win where he scored Golden Goal in the final of the tournament and helped Netherlands beat Spain 3-2. Since the famous 1996 Gold Medal win in the Olympics, Teun De Nooijer and Netherlands hockey continued to dominate world hockey for nearly a decade.

2000 was another big year for Teun. Not only did he finally win Champions Trophy after missing out in 1998 and 99, Teun De Nooijer and Netherlands also repeated their success at Olympics, taking home another gold medal from Sydney. Then in 2002 and again in 2003, the Dutch would repeat their feat of winning the Champions Trophy.

Every hockey fan expected Teun De Nooijer to win the third Gold medal in 2004 Olympics but an injury forced him out of the final against an Australia team which went on to defeat the Dutch 2-1, and denied him a chance to win the most coveted medal one more time.

Apart from Olympics and World Cup events, De Nooijer also won Gold medals at four Champions Trophy tournaments, and was a central figure in the Netherlands team that won the 1997 Euro Hockey Nations Championship. Not just for Netherlands, De Nooijer has been and continues to be the driving force of HC Bloemendaal, propelling the team to seven Dutch league titles as well as success in the Euro Hockey League in the 2008-2009 season, and being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Despite having an illustrious career, Ten De Nooijer was criticized by his current coach Paul Van Ass before he came out with the list of Olympics probables. The coach considered Teun a gifted hockey player but he was not selected due to tactical issues. Later, Paul Van Ass bowed down to public pressure and selected Teun De Nooijer in the Olympics team, and Nooijer repaid his coach’s faith by guiding the team to another silver medal.

Teun De Nooijer was recently named a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau, a royal honour for people who have earned special merits for society.

After serving hockey for 18 years, the most versatile player of international hockey bids adieu to the sport, but the legacy he created will always live on among the hockey fans and players from around the world.

As a life long hockey fan, I would sincerely like to thank Teun De Nooijer for providing us with so many happy memories which will remind us of the great players who once graced this beautiful sport.

Here are the career highlights of Teun De Nooijer

Career Highlights

• 1996 Olympic Games – Gold
• 1998 World Cup – Gold
• 2000 Champions Trophy – Gold
• 2000 Olympic Games – Gold
• 2002 Champions Trophy – Gold
• 2003 Champions Trophy – Gold
• 2004 Olympic Games – Silver
• 2006 Champions Trophy – Gold
• 2007 European Championship – Gold
• 2011 Euro Hockey Nations Championships – Silver
• 2012 Summer Olympics – Silver

Once again an attempt is being made to solve the rift between hockey bodies, Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India and to decide who will be the National Sporting Federation of Indian hockey. This time, it’s a three member committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association who will try to find an amicable solution between the two warring factions.

The committee, was formed by the Indian Olympic Association last month, consists of former Wrestling Federation of India president G S Mander, Indian Weightlifting Federation chief Birendra Prasad Baishya and Handball Federation of India Secretary General S M Bali.

G S Mander who is also the vice-president of IOA said, “The committee has been tasked to determine which one of the two is the legitimate body to run hockey in the country and which would be recognised by the IOA and FIH. It has been constituted under the directive of the FIH that the matter should be decided before the end of August.”

It’s not the first time someone has tried to solve the rift between Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation. Before this attempt, Sports Ministry and FIH have tried to solve the same numerous times without any positive result.

Leave the solution to this problem, the bigger question is, do we even need Indian Hockey Federation or Hockey India?

In 2008 when the Indian men’s team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in their history, Suresh Kalmadi, the then IOA chief disbanded Indian Hockey Federation as they had brought ‘dishonor to hockey’.

Indian Hockey Federation was a one man show, run by KPS Gill, who had a say in everything. He was the one who would select the coach, select the team, orgainize tournaments. In short, he was the sole person running Indian hockey, like a dictator.

Then came Hockey India and everyone though that hockey will be run in India in a professional way. Four year since that day, Hockey India has become what Indian Hockey Federation was, a one man show, now run by Narinder Batra.

In the last four years, Hockey India has done exactly the same as the KPS Gill led Indian Hockey Federation had done for years. No doubt, the Indian team under Hockey India has won the bronze in Asian Games, silver in CWG, and won other small tournaments, but there were more negatives than positives under Hockey India (same was IHF). The players who questioned the wrong-doings of the board were thrown out of the team for speaking their mind and only ‘yes men’ who went along with Narinder Batra’s wishes were in the team.

IHF and HI might be two different bodies, but they have committed the same errors. The players were fired for speaking their minds and the coaches were fired even after doing well as they had spoken against the board. Both the organisations did not do anything to promote hockey in India. They neglected the grass-root development of hockey in India and the selectors were used as puppets by the dictators (KPS Gill for IHF and Narinder Batra for HI) to force their wishes in the team selection.

So what will IOA achieve by giving the command of Indian hockey to one of the two or both of them jointly when it is clear the none of them are good and have done nothing for the game. When will India realise that Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation are just two organizations who are only interested in grabbing power and making money out of it?

We clearly do not need Hockey India or Indian Hockey Federation, both organisations consists of greedy, power hungry people who are interested in raising their personal profiles in the expense of hockey.

If they continue to control Indian hockey, both these groups (or any one) will cause further damage to Indian hockey and from which there will be no return to the golden days. The coaches will continue to suffer, the players will continue to suffer and the fans will continue to suffer (not that anyone cares).

Dear Mr. Ajay Maken, if you by any chance happen to read this, please take a correct step and do not allow any of these organisations to toy with Indian hockey. The damage caused by the federations have been enough and Indian hockey cannot suffer anymore of these tortures.

I sincerely hope IOA committee uses its brains and comes out with a solution which does not involve IHF and HI, because they are certainly not the answer to the hockey-related issues in India.

P.S- Still do not know, why have we hired Australia’s Elena Norman as Hockey India’s CEO and what has she done till now to deserve a salary of Rs. 2.5 lacs a month?

Let’s check out the top reasons to watch women’s hockey in Olympics.

1. Luciana Aymar (Argentina)

Also known as ‘La Maradona del hockey’ (Maradona of hockey), 35 year old Aymar is one of the best players of modern hockey. Standing at 5’7 ½, this midfielder from Argentina is also one of the beautiful hockey players in the world. Playboy wanted her on its cover but she denied the offer (one of the sad days for hockey fans). It’s not just her beauty which makes the news; she also had a glittering hockey career. Aymar has won three medals in the Olympics (one silver and two bronze), 2010 World Cup, along with seven time FIH player of the year award.

2. Ellen Hoog (Netherlands)

At 5’5”, Ellen Hoog is one of the hottest hockey players in the world. Hoog is also considered as one of the most attractive sportspersons ever, with many netizens giving their support to the claim. Apart from her great looks, she has also won 2006 world Cup and the Gold medal at the last Olympics. At 26, she still has six to eight years of international hockey and surely, the hockey fans from around the world would want her to continue longer.

3. Casey Eastham (Australia)

This 23 year old Australian gives an immediate impression of a cute girl who would spend more time with barbie dolls than holding hockey sticks in her hand. But look again, behind this beautiful face, there is an aggressive hockey player. Casey who feels her best body part are her abs, might not have the idea about the hundred guys who would die at just one look of hers.

4. Georgie Twigg (Great Britain)

A personal favorite of mine from Lincoln, 21 year old Georgie Twigg is the prime example of beauty and brains. She is the youngest member of Great Britain team and has already won silver in Champions Trophy. Last year she also won a bronze in Euro Hockey Championships. It’s not just her beauty which are a talk among the men, Georgie also holds a law degree from the University of Bristol.

5. Sophie Polkamp (Netherlands)

A veteran Dutch hockey player, Sophie is absolutely incredible with guys ogling at her on and off the field. She is surely one of those girls who would attract fans to the stands. She was also a part of 2008 Olympics Gold medal winning Netherlands team.

6. Christina Schutze (Germany)

This 28 year old midfielder from Dusseldorf, Germany was one of the five Olympics sport women from Germany who posed nude for the German edition of Playboy magazine in August. For known reasons, I am not posting her Playboy photo hero but surely, she will make many heads turn when she takes on the field in London Olympics.

7. Naomi Van As (Netherlands)

Another Dutch beauty, Naomi Van As is one of the biggest reasons we should all watch women’s hockey matches at the Olympics. At 29 years, she is the dream girl for most of the hockey fans out there. But alas, she is already taken. Beijing Olympics gold medal winner Naomi is currently dating skating star Sven Kramer. Taken or not, she is definitely one of the star attractions of women’s hockey at Olympics.

8. Gemma Flynn (New Zealand)

Black Sticks’ winger Gemma Flynn is our next member of hockey beauties of London Olympics. Gemma, who plays in the left wing, is well known for for her speed and control. Thanks to London Olympics, she would also be known for her beauty which makes her a perfect combination for any hockey fan.

9. Florencia Habif (Argentina)

Another Las Leonas who makes it to our list of Olympics beauties is 18 year old lass Florencia Habif. Nicknamed ‘Flor’ (flower) for her beauty, Florencia is one of the youngest hockey players in the Olympics but she already has enough experience which makes her a real deal.

10. Ashleigh Nelson (Australia)

Hockeyroos striker Ashleigh Nelson is an absolute stunner. This 24 year old beauty who missed Beijing Olympics, finally gets her chance for play in the Olympics. Since debuting in 2007, she has gone on to become one of the leading goalscorers for Australia.

Getting down to ten was a very difficult task and I had to leave out many beauties to pen this article.

This is a feeble attempt by me to add some glamour in hockey.

Do add your suggestions in the comments below if you can name more players worthy of this list!

India’s forward line boasts of Shivendra Singh, Tushar Khandekar and SV Sunil, but misses goal opportunities far too regularly.

Coach Nobbs and his attacking style of hockey are doing wonders for the Indian team and the strategy of all out attack is giving Indian team good results against decent teams. But the question is – will this attacking strategy give the same results in London Olympics?

To qualify for the semi-finals, India will have to go past Germany and Netherlands(probably New Zealand too) and one thing which all these teams are good in, is defending. In fact, all the top teams in the world are great defensive units. The top teams defend their goal very well which gives the attack-line a chance to go and search for the victory. In the year 2012, the top teams like Germany and Australia have rarely conceded any goals, and the games in which they have, they’ve kept the count down to just one or two. The goals per game avg is less than 1, which is enough to prove that they are great defensive unit. The ability of these teams to defend their goals gives an opportunity to the midfielders and strikers to move ahead freely and attack.

Compared to these teams, India, which goes for an all out attack, has been found wanting when it comes to defense. In 2012, India has played 22 games and have conceded 40 goals with an average of 1.81 goals per game. If we include the practice match against Australia before Olympics hockey test event, the avg goal per game increases to whopping 2.26.

India conceded 9 goals against Australia, Great Britain and Germany in the London Prepares Invitational Hockey Tournament earlier this year at Riverbank Arena – venue for Olympics.

Here is a simple explanation to why India should choose defense over attack when it comes to selecting the style of play.

First of all, Indian team does not have a world class attack. It is true that Indian team has some great forwards like Shivendra Singh, Tushar Khandekar and SV Sunil, but overall India’s attack still falls short of being world class. Indian forward line has missed many chances and keeps on missing 2-3 guaranteed goals every game. The habit of missing goals might give India a second chance against lower ranked teams of the world, but against the top sides, it’s going to be nothing short of self-destruction.

Another thing is, Indian defense is weak and well known for leaking goals. So the whole team, which is now playing all out attacking game, will not be able to play the same way in London. In the Olympics, Indian team will be under enormous pressure to perform well. So much so that most of the time, Indian team will be looking behind and thinking about protecting the goal for the large part of the game.

If Indian team is going to defend the goal most of the time then why not change the style of play and adopt a defensive approach to the game or as they say – ‘park the bus’.

As every football fan knows, parking the bus is:

‘Defensive style of play whereby a team attempt to restrict the opposition by playing many players behind the ball with limited or no attacking play. Such a style of play is known for making it very difficult for the opposition to score.’

In my view, the right approach for the Indian team is to keep bodies behind the ball for most of the time, then counterattack at every opportunity. In the second game of India’s European tour, France kept their players behind the 25 yard line and kept on defending the whole game. Though they lost the game 4-0, they conceded fewer goals as compared to 8-2 drubbing in the first game.

By keeping the bodies behind, Indian team can close the gaps at the back and keep the opponents at bay. Closing the gaps and giving no place to move will unsettle the opposition and force them to commit mistakes which will give chance to the Indian team to hit back and counter-attack. If the opposition finds it difficult to score against Indian team, half of the problem will be solved and then on counter attacks, India can cause damage and score.

Defensive style of play is not very popular in hockey but after hearing about France do it against India, a new door has opened and I would like to see teams, especially lower ranked teams, trying this strategy and save themselves from losing with a high goal margin.

This style of play requires higher concentration from the players and a high level of fitness. Indian team which has improved its fitness can easily adopt this style of play and put it to use. India has 15 days before the start of the Olympics, why not Coach Nobbs put on his thinking cap and use it against the opponents in the upcoming games. Isn’t defense the best form of attack?

The games with defensive style will be boring for the fans, but if Indian team keeps the opposition from scoring goals, and wins the games, the fans won’t surely question the team’s strategy.

After all, isn’t it all about winning?

Eight time Gold medal winners India will make their Olympics return after a gap of 8 years to break the 32 year jinx of not winning a medal in the Olympics. The Indian team, which last won gold in 1980 Moscow Olympics, would like to set the record straight and win gold in London 2012.

Let us look at India’s path to London Olympics and see how they will fare in the biggest hockey tournament.

ROAD TO LONDON

After Chile disaster in 2008, Indian hockey was down in the pits and there was no hope for a turnaround. In came Jose Brasa and things started to change for Indian hockey. The team started well but missed direct qualification to Olympics when they failed to win Gold in Asian Games 2010 and finished with a bronze medal. Missing out on gold meant India had to play the Olympics Qualifiers to qualify for the Olympics. The nightmares of Chile disaster once again started to haunt Indian hockey fans but Indian team under the guidance of Australian Coach Michael Nobbs won the Olympics Qualifiers in style scoring 44 goals with Sandeep Singh top scoring with 16 goals in the Qualifiers.

 COMPETITION

Every game in the Olympics will be a tough game and same is for India, who is placed in Group B of Olympics hockey pool along the likes of Netherlands, gold medal winner of 2008 Olympics Germany, New Zealand, Korea and Belgium. The Indian team is the second lowest ranked team in the pool after Belgium (ranked 13) and it will be very tough task for the Indians to qualify for the semi-finals. The Indian team will start their campaign against world number 3, Netherlands on July 30. If we look at the last game records against Group B opponents, India has lost to every team except Korea so it is going to be very difficult for the Indian team to make it to the semi-finals.

CURRENT FORM 

Right now, its all about blue turf. On the blue turf Indian team started off badly with losing all the games played in Olympics Hockey Test Event including a practice game against Australia 12-0, but after that Indian team have come back strongly and did well to finish third in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Currently, the Indian team is in Europe getting ready for the Olympics. In the first leg of the tour, the Indians were in France, where they played two games and beat France 8-2 (green turf) and 4-0 (blue turf). Looking at the recent results, the Indian team is doing well and will be the surprise package in the Olympics.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Every Indian hockey fan wants their team to win Gold in the Olympics but deep down even they know that it will be very difficult to achieve it. The Indian team’s goal should be to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. With a good attack and two of the best penalty corner experts in Sandeep Singh and VR Raghunath, reaching the semi-finals might be possible. The competition is going to be really tough so the best bet would be a top six finish in the tournament.

KEY PLAYERS

Talk about India’s key players and first name crops up is Sardara Singh, who is the soul of the Indian team. His presence in the starting XI is the biggest strength of the Indian team. Rest of the players who will make will play key role in India’s Olympics campaign are SV Sunil, Gurbaj Singh and VR Raghunath.

TEAM

1. Bharat Chetri -

A loss in form of India’s first choice keeper PR Sreejesh means the Indian captain, who usually played second fiddle to Sreejesh earlier, will go to the Olympics as the first choice goalkeeper backed by impressive performance on the blue turf. With Indian defense still making mistakes, Bharat Chetri will have to play a key role in India’s Olympics campaign. At the time when Sreejesh’s form is becoming erratic, 30 year old Chetri is improving his performance at every opportunity provided. In Sultan Azlan Shah Cup too, India won all the games in which he was the custodian and it’s his positioning and agility that has been allowing the Indian team to keep on attacking without worrying much on defensive front. With him at the post, Indian team has a good opportunity to go forward and score goals. No doubt, the captain of the Indian team will play a major part in India’s push for Olympics glory.

2. Sardara Singh -

There is no doubt about the fact that Sardara Singh will play the biggest role for Indian team at the Olympics. Whenever Sardara plays well, the team plays well too and whenever he has an off game, the problems for the team increase. The most important player of the squad, Sardara Singh will have to help the Indian team in all the areas as a major part of India’s planning is done around him and his performance will be vital for the team’s success. Sardara Singh will start for India in the midfield but he will have to play as a defender, midfielder and as a forward in a team where he is the most creative and bankable player of the lot. Sardara’s major role will be that of a defender where he will have to bail out the Indian defense from time to time and allow other players to move forward.

3. Gurbaj Singh -

With Sardara Singh spending most of his on-field time in Indian defense, 27 year old Gurbaj Singh will have to take Sardara’s role in the midfield and hold it firm. Technically sound and creative, Gurbaj Singh’s role will be to support both Indian attack and come down to help the defense. Coming straight back into the side for Sultan Azlan after the knee injury, he has made his presence felt and linked up very well with SV Sunil and created lots of chances for the Indian forwards in attack. In the bronze medal match against Great Britain, he looked extremely comfortable on the ball and made some great passes for SV Sunil. In defense too, Gurbaj Singh kept the English at bay and made some vital saves in the game. His return gives India an advantage and stability in the middle.

4. SV Sunil -

After suffering a knee injury in 2010 that nearly ended his career, SV Sunil’s return has been a boon for the Indian team. A player gifted with blistering pace(nearly matching Dhanraj Pillay) and sharpness, SV Sunil has the responsibility of carrying Indian attack on his shoulders. Totally unpredictable, his runs have terrorized defenders of in the opposition. His electrifying goal against Pakistan in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tells a lot about his character and his never-say-die attitude, SV Sunil will lead the Indian attack in the Olympics and is surely going to play a crucial role in India’s Olympics campaign.

5. VR Raghunath -

A year ago, you wouldn’t have wanted to even see him in the team but today he is one of the most important defenders in the squad. His defending has improved drastically and he is currently the best defender of the Indian team. With Sandeep Singh not getting enough time to play and staying on the bench, Raghunath is also becoming India’s main weapon during penalty corners. Raghunath’s good form and improvement will be great relief for the Indian coach Michael Nobbs who was worried about Indian defense. His defending and penalty corner will be key for the Indian team at Olympics.

Despite losing all its games in the Olympics Hockey Test Event, the Indian Hockey team had an impressive outing at the Riverbank Olympics Arena.

The Indian team started the tournament on a poor note when they lost their practice game against Australia 12-1. Their fortunes did not change even after the tournament had started and India went on to lose 3-0 to Australia once again. Winning continued to elude the Indian team in the next two games when they lost to Great Britain 4-2 and Germany 2-1. The losing trend did not end even when India went to the 3rd-4th playoff  after they lost again to Great Britain.

Despite putting on decent performances against a better opposition, the Indian team made some common and silly mistakes or rather missed two valuable players who could have helped the Indian team fare better in the tournament. The Indian team missed many goal scoring opportunities in the tournament, and that problem could have been solved with the help of a poacher, and who better than Yuvraj Walmiki to handle the duties of a goal poacher.

Yuvraj Walmiki, who entered the hockey scene in the Asian Champions Trophy, is the best choice that the Indian team has to fill-in the role of a goal poacher. Quick on the field and a good reader of the game, Yuvraj’s positional awareness allows him to be in the right place at the right time. This makes him a very dangerous player. A team that focuses on attack, is currently missing an out and out center forward despite having the likes of Shivendra Singh and Tushar Khandekar in its ranks. With those two experienced players working around him, Yuvraj will easily fit-in the role of  a conventional center forward, who will score goals for the Indian team. The speed of Kothjit Singh and SV Sunil in the wings will give enough opportunity to Yuvraj Walmiki to work the space in the center. The Indian team did not earn many penalty corners in this tournament  and Yuvraj Walmiki can this change in the coming matches.

Currently Indian team will miss the services of Yuvraj Walmiki, who is nursing hamstring injury and until two weeks ago he did not even start jogging. So his participation in the London Olympics looks difficult. His timely return for the Olympics will surely give Indian team the edge it has missed so far.

Another problem faced by the Indian team is a lack of center half (or a defensive midfielder as they say in football) who can hold on the ball, control the tempo of the match and distribute the ball to other players. Along with poor defending, weak midfield is an area of concern for the Indian team. Presently, Sardara Singh is performing as the linkup-man but he is so overworked and marked that Indian team needs to find another player for this role.

The only Indian player who can fit in this role for India is Arjun Halappa. He is one of the most experienced campaigners for India, his experience will be very important for the Indian team. Despite being the most talented player in India, his skills have not been utilized by the Indian team management. A natural center half, he was forced to work in right where he was unable to function properly. If allowed to operate in the center half position, he will be able to distribute the ball and also help the Indian team in defence.

Along with Arjun, India also has another Indian player who can play the role of defensive midfielder that India needs, someone  like Gurbaj Singh. He is still a work in progress, but what better way to become an understudy to India’s best player, Arjun.

This Indian team under Coach Nobbs has improved a lot and with just 2-3 changes, India will surely be able to compete with the top nations.