India win, but few cheers for hockey

New Delhi: They jumped, shouted, hugged, cried in disbelief... the magnitude of what they had achieved took time to sink in.

The passes are available for the ongoing junior WC, tickets prizes are nominal, but there are no takers.

Three years ago, the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here was packed with close to 35,000 people. There were many more waiting outside, hoping to get a ticket.

India were playing Pakistan in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup, and a 4-1 win set the tone for the rest of the tournament. And even though the hosts finished eight, the brand of hockey that they displayed attracted sizeable crowds.

The Junior Hockey World Cup here is a stark contrast. The passes are available, tickets prizes are nominal, but there are no takers. On Thursday evening, one could count the number of spectators as India beat Argentina 42 and will now play Pakistan — who beat South Africa 4-0 — in the 9th place playoff.

For the record, Ramandeep Singh scored a brace, Gurjinder Singh and Amit Rohidas had a strike each, while Lucas Martinez and Lautaro Diaz reduced the margin for Argentina.

And that depicts the sorry state of Asian hockey. Malaysia are the only Asian team in the semifinals, and India — who promised too much before the start of the tournament — have faltered.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will miss the 2014 senior World Cup for the first time, a low for the former champions.

Former national coach Harendra Singh, who coached the junior squads between 2004 and 2011, said “lack of education and tactical awareness” could well be the difference between India and the other teams.

Said Harendra, “If you look at this tournament closely, and teams like Belgium, France or Germany, there is not a single player who is better than the Indians in skills.

These nations play a very tactical game and everyone falls into the plan perfectly.

“A player needs to be intelligent enough to implement the tactics.

Our players displayed individual skills, but that hasn’t taken them anywhere. They have cracked under pressure. I will not blame the coaches or the players as it is the system that produces champions.

If Malaysia are in the semi-finals, it is because they started working on this team from the Under17 level.” At a time when the world body is directing its focus on India — finances are a huge reason — lack of crowds and a poor show from India has been a deterrent. In the next few years, India are lined up to host the Champions Trophy, another Junior World Cup and the senior World Cup in 2018.