Roelant Oltmans shows belief in the team, says the bronze medal win wasn't just 'lucky'

Roeland Oltmans believes that team has learnt how to win, and can win at the Olympics.

India’s bronze medal victory at the Hockey World League (HWL) finals may have come as a significant achievement for the team, as this was their first medal in a World Tournament in 33 years, but critics galore call it a spate of luck, given that Australia and Netherlands had sent second-string teams to the tournament thereby testing their bench strength.

The Indian coach, Roelant Oltmans, though, denies such criticism, and in an exclusive interview to Firstpost, reveals about the team’s transition, its recovery from the consistent sacking of coaches, and its focus on the Rio Olympics.

Ajit Pal Singh, India’s 1975 World Cup-winning former captain, uses the words pathetic, erratic and lucky, to describe India’s campaign in the HWL, saying that consistency was lacking in the team. If you combine that with the second-string opponents that they faced in the league, it makes a case for the critics to pick several loopholes.

Oltmans, however, is resolute in his stand with the team saying that these facts cannot take the glory away from what he calls a ‘special achievement’ for the team.

"Every team makes their decision on who they bring but there are two sides to this. The other guys, they want to prove themselves because they want to take the chance to impress and make the Olympics.”

“So they give it their all. There is quality missing, yes, but that quality will have the ball for only three minutes in a match. Also, we were not really with everyone as well.”

“I understand sceptics and I accept it. But if Britain and Australia and Netherlands did bring their full team, there's no guarantee that they could have done better," Oltmans said.

Australia won the Gold, Belgium, silver, and India, bronze after being tied with Netherlands at 5-5, edged them out 3-2 in the penalty shootouts, to win the bronze medal.

Oltmans, who has had a distinguished career as coach enjoys these victories with the Indian team even more, given the glorious past that Indian Hockey has had. "When I left home I always said that one thing I want to bring back is glory to the country. Since it comes after such a long time, it's special.”

“Winning a medal in whichever country is — but it's also about the situation and about the details. Especially here in India, where no one is looking at the process, only the outcome."

The current coach was the high-performance director of the Indian team for three years, before taking the responsibility after former coach Paul Van Ass was relieved of his duties after a dispute with Hockey India coach Narinder Batra.

The 61-year old gave certain glimpses into how he handled the situation after his predecessor’s controversial departure.

"I remember I said, 'Listen guys, this should not influence your performance. We need to look from day one that this is what I need to do to play for my country.' And the boys responded well. 'I want you to continue this way,' I said."

He also asked the players to make use of whatever knowledge had been imparted to them by the former coaches. He asked them to recall what had been taught by Michael Nobbs, Terry Walsh and Paul Van Ass and to use it to their advantage.

He took the players he was familiar with, and the ones he was no-so-familiar within the same stride. "For some players it is always like that — they will do better and learn faster under certain coaches. It's like that everywhere else in the world but you have to get used to the methods.”

“There are players who will be picked by one coach, and not by another."

The medal win at the HWL also took the spotlight away from the Van Ass saga, but Oltmans believes that the Olympics should be the lenses through which his performance should be seen and judged.

"It's always difficult to say we are over that saga after just one trophy. We have been close in a few tournaments, but this was the first time we capitalised so it looks like we are in the right direction.”

“But only after Rio we can be sure. You can get up quickly and even come down, but aim is to go upwards always," the coach said.

Oltmans also reiterated what the drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh had said, that the team, after the victory, believed that they can win, and the mental block that had stayed for so long after failing again and again in world tournaments was finally overcome.