Chandigarh, September 5
The countdown has been begun among 12 top hockey teams will battle to clinch World Cup 2006 at Monchengladbach, Germany. Among them five are current continental champions.
India will face tough challenge from Netherlands and Germany in Group B along with England and South Korea.
The Tribune team talked to several hockey Olympians, players and officials to know about the chances of India to bag the title.
Harmik Singh, ex- Olympian and captain, hockey team, 1972:
According to the scheduled pools our team will take on Germany in the first encounter. The match will show our capabilities and standing. The match will also be crucial in the sense that the host team always gets the advantage of home turf. We cannot afford to lose the match. Being selector and adviser of the national hockey team, I see them among the first four top teams. I put Holland on No. 1, followed by Germany. These are the two teams which can pose threat to India’s dreams. I advise them to emphasise on executing more field goals as with the injury of penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh we are a bit weaker on that front. In my viewpoint, the selection of Raghunath is a right step as Jugraj has not fully recuperated while Vikramjeet is too raw at the moment.
Tarlochan Bawa, ex- Olympian, gold medallist, 1948: You cannot predict at the moment what will happen in Germany. Ours is a good team. Though with the exclusion of drag flicker Sandeep the penalty corner area will suffer, but we have substituted that with a fine player. The team should concentrate on field goals. In our times we played on the strategy to penetrate the defence line of the rivals and show aggressive approach in the ‘D’ area. Now the rules have changed and the game has become more of a power play, which I personally do not advocate. It has more or less become a fast game with three Ss- speed, skill and stamina. Moreover, the announcement of IHF president to offer 1 crore to the team India if they bring the World Cup home can work wonders. This will definitely boost the morale of the players.
Sandeep Singh, dropped from World Cup team:
I had been a part of the series of preparatory camps for the World Cup held in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. So I am quite sure that my team will clinch the top honours as I know about the preparation and the drills the team had undergone during the camp. The strong frontline, half line and defence of the Indian team are base of my prediction. As many of the opponents are also very tough and advance teams, we have to play according to plan, so that team graph does not decline. At the moment I don’t see any grey areas where the team needs to work out. In my view Argentina or New Zealand can emerge as the dark horse in the World Cup.
Rajinder S. Junior: ex-Olympian and former coach, hockey team: If our team reach the semifinal, it will be the biggest achievement. Nothing much can be expected from our team. Moreover, I am not happy with the team package. We don’t have sound positions at centre half, right-in and our midfield is too weak. The exclusion of Sandeep will also create a big void in drag flicking, the speciality which can turn the direction of any match. Raghunath is not technically sound enough fill that vacuum. Had they included Lyanappa, the highest goal scorer in the PHL, the team would have been sound on penalty corner conversion. In the matches of such stature, I don’t see any hope for our team.
Pargat Singh, ex-Olympian and Director, Sports, Punjab: Looking at their dismal performance since 2003 Champions Trophy, I don’t foresee the Indian team in the top four positions. The opening matches against Germany and Netherlands hold significance in the sense that they are the strong contenders for the World Cup and if our team wins the initial league matches, the morale of the players will definitely get a boost. It will not be an easy going for India as we have to face teams like Holland, Spain or Australia, which are proficient in executing the game plans and do not loose rhythm during the 70 minutes. Our team has many weaknesses. The authorities must have made arrangements for such crucial times which the team has been facing after the accident of Sandeep. The newly-appointed coach is trying his level best but it is too early to say anything about his planning. We should at least give him three to four years.
Narinder Singh Sodhi, ex-coach, Indian hockey team:
All six teams - Holland, Australia, Germany, Spain, England and Malaysia - pose great threat to India. We have to win the first match. Since the Germans play a defensive game, we should use the same weapon to beat them. The players should show the attacking approach only when the decks are cleared for that. The reason for this strategy is that the Germans have very precise distribution sense and they hardly let the ball go to the opposite team member. Our team should emphasise more on ball rotation. Definitely, we will miss Sandeep during the crucial matches. In my view the winning chances of India depend on how the team performs on a particular day. But let’s hope for the best.
Jasbir Singh Bajwa, coach, Chandigarh Hockey Academy:
It is really a big challenge. Holland, Germany, Australia are too tough to handle. It is basically the genetic factors also. The foreign players have strong built-up along with good strategy and advance techniques. They let the ball move more frequently and keep themselves on toes all the time. Moreover, they dominate us because they have customised the rules of the games according to their suitability. It is another matter that most of the participating countries have learnt the techniques from us.
Chandigarh, September 5