India’s hockey coach Michael Nobbs is furious at the lack of commitment shown by his players in the first three games at the London Games and said there were some players in the team who are just happy to be Olympians.
India has suffered defeats in all three matches they played in Group B so far and are already out of the reckoning for a place in the semifinals of the men’s hockey competition.
“We’ve got some players out there just wanting to be Olympians, but international hockey demands heart for a fight,” Nobbs said as India brace for their next game against Asian opponents South Korea on Sunday.
“The national team needs players who show the character to take up a challenge and are willing to commit their heart and body for the country’s prestige,” said the Australian, who was seen singing India’s national anthem before the match against Germany on Friday.
Nobbs has strictly asked the players to make a decision whether they were willing to make that commitment to the nation and the team.
“The players need to make a decision whether they are satisfied just to be Olympians and return home, or are they willing to be tough and make that commitment for the team’s cause,” he said.
“If you are happy to go home having just turned up at the Olympic Games, the team cannot expect much from you,” said Nobbs, who was a teammate of present Australia coach Ric Charlesworth in the 1980s.
“I come from a sporting culture where players are willing to line up their coffins on the side of the pitch. That’s their pride in representing the country.”
The coach said until and unless the players take up challenges, Indian hockey will continue to suffer.
“Only the good players take up challenges. If these Indian players take up the challenge, they can improve,” he said.
“But that needs absolute commitment forgetting about injuries and the stuff.”
Nobbs said the Indian players were not showing the attitude of winners.
“Every champion and every team goes through defining moments against the odds. There are no excuses when you are on the pitch,” he said.
“We need players who have attitudes of winners. Otherwise they are a waste of time where the team is concerned,” he asserted.
“I am not going to pander to egos. That’s not what I am with the team for. I want absolute success for the boys. They have worked hard and given their blood and sweat to be here.
What I find surprising is the way they go soft when engaged in hard encounters,” Nobbs added.
Nobbs acknowledged that Indian players were not physically tough enough.
“We’re not tough, but it is a matter of self confidence. We have talent but need to be mentally tough, and that comes from performing under pressure,” he said.
Looking to salvage some pride from the ongoing Olympic campaign, India will need to produce an improved show in tomorrow’s match against South Korea, who started with a 2-0 victory over New Zealand, but have lost two matches thereafter.
Keywords: London 2012, London Olympics 2012, Summer Olympics 2012
The Indian hockey players are not playing as a team. They are playing
as a single individual. They are not giving passes and they each wont
to score goals, they play selfishily.
If you look at the Medal Tally, you will be amazed to note that S. Korea, has racked up a phenomenal number of Gold and Silver medals, ranking next only to China, USA, and England, but clearly outbeating several other nations. Again, notice that these Oriental nations like China and South Korea started competing in Olympics only after 1980 in a big way. While the meteoric rise of China is in keeping with its large disciplined population, small Nations like Nederland and South Korea simply delight themselves by in competing in various sports with a passion. THAT IS A FACT. Hockey is a very much a global sport, just like soccer, played in Latin countries to Euopean, and Asian and Oriental nations, whereas, Cricket is played mainly by the Commonwealth nations, and is NOT an Olympic Sports. Lo and behold, if the IOC were ever to make Criket an Olympic game, both China and Korea will gleefully jump into the fray, frusrating the Indian cricket miserable just like it is happening hockey.
The coach could not have been more explicit. For the viewers on TV it is evident that the players are not committed enough and do not have any national pride in representing the country barring a few like the goalkeeper and captain Bharat Chetri. The body language of the Indian players has not been positive and they just seem to go through the motion of going about to finish the 70 minutes without any plan to convert half chances into goals. Other countries have moved far ahead of us and it is time that the present team is dumped and fresh talent inducted to prepare for Rio in 2016. Even before the Olympics started the results in the warm up games provided the writing on the wall that this team would finish among the also rans. It is a shame that the country which won 8 gold medals at the Olympics is now in such dire straits.
what mr. nobbs told that is absolutely right,all the players not getting any commitment from government, lots of corruption, they are treated like slaves, thats way they are thinking what they are doing that is enough for India. it will change once the indian bureaucracy will change.
i agree absolutely.players need to make a decision...are they ready
to put their life on the line for a win.it doesnt matter whether
they are senior players or have great talent,what matters is the
efort they are willing to put in.!!let the sword hang over every
non performer..time to boost performance..not e\pander to egos!!
He should have held his comments as long as the Games are on. Nobbs has had enough time with the team to have been able to tell them what efforts he wants. If really some players were not giving 101%, Nobbs and the selectors should drop such players for one year, even from training camps.
The coach is simply echoing the malady affecting not just Indian hockey, but Indian sport as a whole. Being patrons of an attitude that promotes mediocrity, it's no wonder that we lag behind the rest of the world, even while being home to one seventh of humanity. Without a spirit of nationalism, without the passion to be the best in the world, we confine ourself to the satisfaction at just being there at the big stage, and being over awed by being in the midst of the best in the world. Even if millions are invested in created the best infrastructure and providing the best coaching available, results befitting a nation of more than a billion won't come up, until we change the defeatist attitude of ours and combine single minded passion with a never say die attitude to become the best in the world. For that, the change should come from within our heart, within our soul.
Its a shame that India being one of the highest populated country in the world is bringing home just 1 or 2 medals. What is the problem? lack of support and encouragement from the government? giving too much importance to cricket? the mind set of Indian population? or everything bung togather?. So so dissapointed with the entire system, the government should wake up now and start encouraging talented people to take up sports as their career, it's clearly not doing enough, just start doing what other countries are doing.
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