The Hindu : Sport : Dilip Tirkey's inclusion raises eyebrows

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 14, 2006

Sport

Sport

Dilip Tirkey's inclusion raises eyebrows

S. Thyagarajan

Chennai: Even in the best of times, no Indian hockey team left the shores without a speck of controversy or acrimony.

Given the present mood of gloom and scepticism, it was no surprise that irritants surfaced when the team flew out for the four-nation tournament at Monchengladbach on Wednesday. The debate pertained to Dilip Tirkey as some quarters fear that the former captain is not fit to undertake the tour.

The eleventh hour call to Tirkey was a desperate attempt to bolster the strength of the defence, rendered innocuous by injuries to Kanwalpreet Singh and William Xalco. The topic of Tirkey's fitness was needless, as he has asserted that he is in perfect shape.

Long lay-off

Tirkey has been out of the National squad for nearly five months. A stint in the Dutch league gave him no time to be part of the training for the Champions Trophy. Though he made the grade as captain, he had to opt out owing to an affliction of suspected jaundice. Then he missed the tour of Pakistan after his marriage. An ankle injury kept him out of the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne.

What cannot be disputed is Tirkey's proficiency. He is the most experienced defender. Misgivings arise whether he can adjust to the demands without adequate competitive practice for nearly five months.

Coach Baskaran is optimistic that a player like Tirkey needs little or no time to pick up the threads.

As India gets ready to meet Germany on Saturday, one is left wondering about the mood among players after the Commonwealth Games.

In the two weeks or so that Baskaran has been with the team, he probably used the time to instil into the players a note of self-belief. Essentially, the camp was more for motivation than mastering modes and methods.

It is imprudent to read into the outcome of the four-nation tournament at this juncture. Even two draws out of the three, against Germany, Argentina and Spain can be deemed a decent result.

At best, the contests will be the first step towards the World Cup in September.

The injuries question

There is however the larger question of injuries to key players. Dilip Tirkey, Adrian D' Souza, Vikram Pillay, Viren Rasquinha, Ignace Tirkey, Deepak Thakur, Kanwalpreet Singh... the chart is alarming.

Regrettably, India has not played a tournament to its full potential and strength in recent years. Frequent shuffling of squads, the bane of our system for years now, becomes not only a mere routine but also leads to a comic hotchpotch with predictably embarrassing results.

There will be a fairly long lay-off between the conclusion of the four-nation tournament on April 17 and the Azlan Shah Cup beginning from June 18. This is the best part left for the IHF to ensure the players get adequate time to shrug off fatigue, that is quite pronounced now, and recover from niggling injuries.

Blending experienced and injury-free players appears the only solution to inject an element of vibrancy to the National team. Baskaran has no option but to explore this.

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