We won eight Golds in the Olympics of yore, with the first one coming in the 1920s, specifically 1928, when were were not even an independent nation. But at that time, Hockey was played on grass. Everyone talks about it being the national game but the last tournament we won was the 1975 World Cup. Till that time, Hockey used to be played on grass and we were very good on that. Then came the Astroturf.
Since the first Olympic Gold came to India through Hockey, it has been a downward spin. But things are looking up finally. There have been a lot of sacrifices by us and many things which we worked on in all these 100 years because of which today we are getting good results.
There has never been a problem of talent in India whether it is in hockey or any other sport. But the main thing is the state of our infrastructure, the basics that we have. To speak about those things, I would say that till Dhanraj Pillay and his batch everything was outstanding. But after that, there was a lack of team bonding because for players jitni friendship ground ke bahar achhi hai, jitney ap ache dost ho, ek team ka family mahool hai, aapas mai apka respect hai, utna he achha aap ground par perfrom karoge. So that was something we lacked.
Today, this is the first thing we have changed. We now play under the best coaches. The credit for the change should also go to the core group of 34-35 players that took the initiative and set the goal to feature in a certain tournaments, improve the rankings and win medals. We were motivated to end the barren run and started preparing accordingly. This is what I can say about the players that I played with in the last 8-10 years and those who are active. We used to go with a target. We had a good coaching staff and Hockey India which also also started operating professionally.
The starting of the new league gives us the chance to play with versatile players from all over the world. Before that, it was only in Olympics or at the World Cup when we would get to play against the best in the business teams like Germany or Holland.
Since hockey is a smart game, there are many things one needs to do. You are supposed to read your opponents, analyse the team and its players that are in your pool and then strategise accordingly.
In the last few years, with the help of few world-class coaches, we have worked extensively on important areas like, where to attack from and targeting the weak player in the opposition. The results of this combined planning is that in the last couple of years, there has been a significant rise in the team rankings.
It takes time to build a team because the 16-18 players that make the final cut come with a different mindset and approach. To combine them all and eek out a result is the responsibility of senior players. All the team members have to ensure that what they need to do to get to the goal.
When we talk about team bonding, earlier when players from Punjab or Haryana used to go for the national camp, they used to share rooms and dining area. But in the past few years, we have shared rooms with players from other States as well, friendships have and team bonding happened.
Also, because of Hockey India League, in the last five years we have progressed continuously. All the best players in the world participate giving us exposure and confidence. Earlier we used to get scared of them but now after sharing camps, watching them prepare, observing their approach to big games, their diet structure and everything, confidence and belief has been instilled in us.
When I started, hockey was the only sport that was played in my village. So it came naturally to me. Those days when I used to go to school, there was a ground nearby and I used to watch my elder brother and neighbours play hockey there. They used to get kits, eatables and so many things other goodies after the training session. That pulled me in.
Initially, I used to train with my brother but slowly coaches started noticing me and their guidance helped me time things.
People often say that Punjab and Haryana are the only two States which produce national players but that’s not so. Actually, hockey is a tough game; one has to work really hard. The new generation is taking a back step because of this. Whatever hockey is alive in the country is because of the academies we have. There are a couple of good ones in Jalandhar and Amritsar that has constantly produced world-class players.
No one is denying the fact that these things have decreased in comparison to the earlier times but one of the major reasons for Punjab and Haryana being at the forefront is their policies. Players can see a safe and secure future through this sport.
One thing that I have read a lot of times and I especially want to highlight is that people often compare our results with that of the other foreign teams but don’t look at the basics.
When I was in Holland and was playing for Bloemendaal, I saw that they have around 3,000 astroturfs for players to train on which is not the case in our country. So how can you expect one to get desired result?
In India, most of the talent comes from rural areas and the children from a poor family background usually get into sports. They don’t have a proper infrastructure of an expensive game like hockey, where a basic necessary kit costs near around Rs 10000, which they cannot afford.
This is completely different from the other foreign countries where the players are getting proper training from a very young age. They are aware of what’s happening in modern hockey and the structure with which the national team operates.
Good results come with good training, and we have noticed a trend that in sport rich countries usually, they get into the sport at a very young age in comparison to ours. So this is one another major factor as it creates a big gap from the very basic level only.
