There are very few coaches in the State who can match the credentials of C.R. Kumar.
So, when he was asked by the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu to take charge of the team with hardly 10 days for the senior men’s National ‘B’ hockey championship in Lucknow, Kumar took up the responsibility with a clear message to the authorities: “I am not a magician to perform miracles. I will do my best.”
It was a panic call from HUTN, after the State men’s team lost to South Central Railway conceding 10 goals in the Lakshmi Ammal tournament in Kovilpatti last month, which forced the officials to call up Kumar.
Given the circumstances, TN did reasonably well topping the Group H which included Jammu & Kashmir, Sashastra Seema Bal and Chhattisgarh Hockey losing to the eventual champion Petroleum Sports Promotion Board in the quarterfinals.
Kumar is quite critical of HUTN’s policy of fielding raw college players for an event as big as the Nationals, though he is happy with the way they performed at a big stage.
“I am all for promoting youngsters, but it should not be done at the senior Nationals. For it is a stage where you have to field your best players, and ours was not the best,” said Kumar, who guided the State men’s team to the final in 1996-97 (Bangalore) and 1997-98 (Hyderabad).
Kumar, who also guided the Indian junior boys’ team to a World Cup win in 2011 in Hobart and helped the Indian women’s team qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, said the TN team did really well against a formidable PSPB which had more than a dozen former India players in its ranks, without conceding a goal in the first two quarters.
“We scored 16 goals in the tournament and conceded only two penalty corners against PSPB. Which shows that the team played well,” he said.
According to Kumar, the boys have realised, after their trip to Lukcnow, the amount of work they needed to put in for a major championship.
The Southern Railway employee praised captain Aravindhan, goalkeeper Arun Prasadh and Gnanavel who scored all the five penalty corners.
Kumar said there were lots of talented players available in the State while adding that more from the institution teams should be selected to make the State team strong.
“We have to prepare for the next Nationals right now, have a panel of coaches at various age groups, spot the right talent. Otherwise we can only become a participant,” he said.
Open trials
He suggested HUTN conduct an open trials and pick 30-35 players for the senior Nationals.
So, will he coach the Tamil Nadu for the coming MCC-Murugappa all-India tournament?
“I am not sure as I might be asked by my employer to coach the team,” said Kumar, who was part of the coaching panel of the Indian women’s team from 2011 to 2017 before he left the National camp in February this year after his father fell ill.
