India should follow Belgian way of training: Marc Lammers

New Delhi: The Belgium hockey team have improved quite rapidly in recent years, and their head coach Marc Lammers feels that India should learn a thing or two from his nation in order to regain some of their former glory.

According to Lammers, one of the biggest hurdles facing Indian hockey is the lack of knowledge about modern training methods and there is a need to make changes in the coaching systems at the grassroots level.

“One of the main problems in India is the lack of knowledge. The coaches at the schools and the local training centres need to update their knowledge of modern training techniques. Hockey is no longer just about skills and dribbling. Players need to to work on several other things as well like physical training, tactics, penalty corners and so on,” Lammers told this paper after his team’s practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday.

“These are things you work on right from the school level. Our federaton had done a good job 10 years ago when they made several changes in the structure of hockey in the country and we are reaping the benefits now,” he added. “India need to do something similar if they want to improve.”

Belgium, who are ranked fifth in the FIH world rankings, have one of the youngest and fittest squads in the upcoming Hockey World League Final and Lammers attributed that to a well-organised youth system.

“The players of our junior national team train three days a week with the seniors and another three days with their respective clubs. So they train six times a week at a very high level. That is one of the secrets behind the rise of Belgium hockey,” he said.

“We have been continuing with this system for many years now, that is why we have several promising young players in our current squad.”

Belgium have been placed in Pool B alongside formidable teams like Australia and Holland for the HWL but Lammers is confident that his wards will be able to hold their own. “This tournament is like a mini World Cup. We have our best team with just four new players and hence the boys have to live up to the expectation that they have built over the years.”