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With the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup around the corner in Odisha, all eyes are on the 18-member national team that is currently in Rourkela. India will play their opening match on January 13 and have been grouped in Pool D along with Spain, England and Wales.
India last won the prestigious Hockey World Cup in 1975 in Malaysia. Will the national team end the medal drought in Odisha is the first query that comes to mind when speaking to India’s chief coach Graham Reid.
The 58-year-old Australian guided the men's hockey team to win a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held last year in Japan. Will the Indian team repeat their Tokyo act in Odisha?
The foreign coach spoke to Sportskeeda on several issues, including pressure to play on home soil and a bit of luck to ensure the team delivers at the right time to gain an edge over their rivals.
Graham Reid, it seems, is a bit superstitious. When you ask him about team fitness he doesn’t mind saying “Touch wood all is fine” with us.
“There is no issue of niggle and all the members of the national hockey team are healthy and fit,” Graham Reid said during a zoom meeting from Rourkela on Monday.
Graham Reid on expectations, home advantage and pressure
The prestigious World Cup is held once every four years and there are huge expectations, particularly if the competition is on home soil. The Australian expert is quite aware of the Indian hockey fans' expectations. However, it is up to the national team to deliver the goods at the right time.
“I’m aware of the huge expectations of a podium finish at the World Cup. Hopefully, the Indian team will perform at their optimum level to match the expectations of the people,” he added.
The 18-member Indian team arrived in Rourkela a couple of days ago to acclimatize to the new turf. The turf is soft and different from the Sports Authority of India center in Bengaluru, which is the main practice ground of the national hockey team. The World Cup matches will also be played in Bhubaneswar.
India’s chief coach said he doesn't need to worry too much on this type of surface unless the ground is bouncy.
“It is needless to think about changing strategy or changing technique unless it is raining. We played in Bhubaneswar and have a few more days to adjust to the turf in Rourkela. The turf overall is playing good,” the chief coach said.
Given that several foreign coaches have lost their jobs due to not-so-encouraging performances in major competitions in the past, Reid has his fingers crossed.
“There is always some kind of pressure when your teams play a tournament. Whether you play in the Olympic Games or the World Cup,” Graham Reid was candid in saying.
Graham Reid points out challenges for India in World Cup
According to Reid, the real test in the World Cup starts in the quarterfinals, which is a knockout stage. At the 2018 World Cup in Odisha, India failed to go beyond the knockout stage.
“The quarterfinals matches are a crucial stage of the World Cup competition. All the teams in the last eight stages are highly ranked and the situation is very challenging,” Reid said. “The national team is shaping up well. We hope to start the 2023 World Cup on a winning note against Spain.”
Goalkeeping
The chain is as strong as the weakest link. India has PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak under the bar. India’s chief coach hinted that he would prefer Pathak over Sreejesh when deciding on the final 11-member team.
“Pathak is in good form. But we will take the final call close to the tournament,” the Australian revealed.
Penalty corner
Penalty corners have been the bane of Indian hockey. However, India’s chief coach said the national team has worked hard to polish their skills in drag flicking.
“We have Harmanpreet Singh. We have Varun Kumar and Amit. We have also worked on variations to fox the opponents,” Graham Reid explained.
Forward line
According to Graham Reid, the national team missed too many scoring chances against Australia recently during the test match series Down Under.
“The writing is on the wall if you miss chances against a team like Australia,” Reid added. “India overall scored 17 goals off five matches played, which is the take away from the series Down Under.”
