It is a strange coincidence that in the most productive year for Indian hockey in three decades the National team is all set to play the prestigious Champions Trophy at home in the distracting backdrop of its chief coach Terry Walsh’s exit.
Walsh’s departure is not even three weeks old. Nevertheless, the team has shown tremendous maturity to take the development in its stride and move on.
The Sardar Singh-led side will have to bank on its maturity when it takes on nine-time champion Germany in its first match of the Champions Trophy, starting at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday.
The National team is fortunate to have had guidance of its High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans. Once again playing the Man Friday, the competent Dutch has retained his poise to accept the extra burden. “I know what we have been doing. The mood is good and the team is responding well,” said Oltmans.
A series of successes, including the Asian Games gold, the Commonwealth Games silver and the recent 3-1 series win in Australia, has instilled confidence in the side which is raring to go in front of enthusiastic home supporters, who have kept the ticket counters busy. This is the third time India is hosting the event.
Sardar’s fitness Even as Sardar’s fitness, due to calf muscle trouble, will be under constant watch, the host will try to make the most of its resources.
Three drag-flickers, including the young Gurjinder Singh, will add variety to penalty corner conversion, while the superb form of S.V. Sunil, Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh will provide the cutting edge to the front line.
Since the format provides an automatic quarterfinal berth, the Indian think-tank will want Sardar to take less load in the initial phase. It will make other midfielders, such as Manpreet Singh, Dharamvir Singh, S.K. Uthappa and Danish Mujtaba, shoulder more responsibility.
Pepped up by the efficient P.R. Sreejesh under the bar, Rupinderpal Singh, V.R. Raghunath, Birendra Lakra and Gurbaj Singh will seek to protect the Indian citadel to the best of their ability.
Having won only a bronze medal (1982) in 13 appearances, India, ranked ninth in the World, will be eager to have a good start against a comparatively inexperienced German team, which is trying to come to terms with the heat and a host of other factors.
The third best side in the world, which had some below-par performances this year, will rely on the experience of Moritz Furste, Tobias Hauke and Florian Fuchs to make an impact.
India, which had finished fourth in 2012, will also give its best in its other pool B clashes against World Cup bronze medallist Argentina (ranked seventh) and silver medallist The Netherlands (second) while hoping to avoid a tougher opponent in the quarterfinals.
Young talents Other than Germany, holder Australia — the World champion, top-ranked and a 13-time winner — and eight-time champion the Netherlands have also opted to test their young talents while starting the process of team building for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Under its new coach Jeroen Delmee, Belgium, ranked fourth, boasts of a set of high quality players and will aim to claim its maiden title in the second Champions Trophy appearance.
Argentina will be encouraged with its upsurge in the World Cup and has got the potential to secure its second medal ever in the competition.
Led by the seasoned Barry Middleton, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and fifth-placed England will be keen to make a mark at the highest level, while Pakistan, at World No. 11, will hope to gather its second consecutive medal from the event and wrap up an otherwise disappointing year on a high.
THE SCHEDULE
Dec. 6: Australia vs England; Belgium vs Pakistan; Holland vs Argentina; India vs Germany.
Dec. 7: Belgium vs Australia; England vs Pakistan; Germany vs Holland; India vs Argentina.
Dec. 9: Argentina vs Germany; England vs Belgium; Australia vs Pakistan; India vs Holland (league phase: Matches 1 to 12).
Dec. 11: Quarterfinal 1: 1A v 4B (Match 13); QF 2: 2B v 3A (Match 14); QF 3: 2A v 3B (Match 15); QF 4: 1B v 4A (Match 16).
Dec. 13: Loser M13 v Loser M14 (5th-8th placings); Loser M15 v Loser M16 (5th-8th); Semifinal 1: Winner M13 v Winner M14; SF 2: Winner M15 v Winner M16.
Dec. 14: Loser M17 v Loser M18 (7th-8th); Winner M17 v Winner M18 (5th-6th); Loser M19 v Loser M20 (3rd-4th); Final: Winner 19 v Winner 20
India vs Germany head-to-head
Overall: Played 89, Won 18, Drawn 23, Lost 48.
In Champions Trophy: Played 14, Won 4, Drawn 2, Lost 8. — Statistics: B.G. Joshi
