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Making an Olympic debut at the age of 20 is not everyone’s cup of tea. But for Olympian Lazarus Barla, it all happened early.
Having made his debut in 1997 at the tender age of 17, Lazarus has now entered into the coaching field and is busy making Olympians for the future.
Sportskeeda had an exclusive chat with the former Indian defender to understand the mindset of an Olympic debutant and how he felt when he went to participate in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“Every sportsperson doesn’t get to play in the Olympics. Only a handful of them can experience that feeling. The Olympics, for me, wasn’t just any tournament. It was the biggest one of my life and the most memorable one,” said Lazarus when asked about his first feelings at Sydney in 2000.
Hockey India has selected 10 debutants in a squad of 16. There are players like Mandeep Singh, who has played over 150 matches but will still make his debut at the tournament, and also Shamsher Singh, who has played just six matches at the international level.
Lazarus believes experience matters a lot in any big tournament you go to.
“Top teams in the world have always come to the Olympics with their most experienced players. But now, teams are preferring to take on a comparatively younger squad. 20 years back, the scene was different, and now it’s completely different the way teams are chosen,” recalled Lazarus.
Lazarus, who currently works with the Government of Odisha as the Deputy Director (Coaching), has always been proactive in imparting his hockey wisdom to younger kids. Whenever he gets time, he teaches kids the basics of hockey.
He was appointed as the coach of the Senior Men’s hockey camp before the Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2018. Apart from that, Lazarus was also the coach of the national junior team before the Junior World Cup in 2016.
Check Out: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule
Experience matters a lot at the Olympics: Lazarus Barla
Lazarus was a bit worried about the experience factor in the forward line but was confident that seasoned campaigners Mandeep and Lalit Upadhyay would do well for India.
“In a tournament like the Olympics, it doesn’t matter if it’s your debut or not. What matters is how many matches you have played at the international level and the kind of exposure you have got. The Olympics is a different ball game altogether. Undoubtedly, a player, who has played 100 matches and is making his debut, can read the game better than the one who has played just 10 matches,” stated the legendary defender who has played over 150 matches in his career.
Lazarus had already played the World Cup, Asian Championships and many other big tournaments before making his Olympic debut. Recalling his memories of the Olympics where India missed the medal by a whisker, he said:
“We were confident of making the semifinals, but a last-minute goal by Poland shattered all our hopes. Although we drew 1-1, they played the semifinal since we had lost to South Korea in the pool match. This will be a regret for all my life.”
The strong and husky defender believes a team should have the right mix of youth and experience.
“On the ground, when there are eight senior players and three juniors, that’s called a balanced team. We used to learn from our seniors. It’s the same now. This time the onus will be on experienced pros like Manpreet, Sreejesh, Rupinder and Birendra to guide the juniors to victory.”
Lazarus also said maturity comes with age, match experience and exposure.
“Apart from a few players, the Indian men’s hockey team has got enough exposure to big tournaments. Coach Graham Reid must have taken them as a surprise package as their skills must not have been seen by many teams.”
The former player-turned-coach believes Amit Rohidas could be the best among all debutants. Amit has already played around 100 matches at the top level and is now a senior player.
“Amit’s performance in recent years has been top-notch. Teams have found it difficult to score when he is the first rusher during short corners. He, along with goalkeeper PR Sreejesh would be having the biggest task of stopping the penalty corner specialists of the world.”
India is placed in a tough group, but Lazarus sees them making the quarters easily. However, as records suggest, India's performance in the quarterfinals over the last few years hasn't been very inspiring.
He believes that if India can get through the quarters, they should make a podium finish this time.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: Indian men's hockey team's projected path to the final
