Men's hockey: Player-driven approach aiding India

Bengaluru: Indian hockey is on a high at the moment. Both the men’s and women’s teams were recently crowned Asian champions — a feat achieved for only the second time in history.

Buoyed by the inspiration of new coach Harendra Singh, the women have also broken into the top-10 in the rankings. The men, guided by newly-appointed Sjoerd Marijne, have similarly cemented Asian domination for the third time in 10 tournament editions.

Both coaching appointments were abrupt and happened mere weeks before the two tournaments, catching people by surprise.

“It’s always nice to win, especially when you start immediately with a tournament. It’s difficult when you’ve only been at the camp for two weeks,” said Marijne at the Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru centre, on the sidelines of a training camp on Tuesday.

However, the Men in Blue will have to put aside their latest triumph and turn their attention towards being not just Asia toppers, but world beaters, as they take on heavy-duty opposition at the World Hockey League finals in Bhubaneswar from December 1 to 10. Along with world no. 1 Argentina, India are the only other non-European team to compete at the eight-team extravaganza, and will undoubtedly look to silence critics upon the big stage.

“We play a completely different tournament against the highest-ranked teams. We will use this to find out where we are in the world,” the Dutchman added.
The current men’s squad is ushering in a new era for Indian hockey with gusto. Resplendent with new blood in every part of the pitch, the right blend of experience and youth remains key.

The player-driven approach has been the pillar of the team’s recent success, with players taking on more responsibility in both defensive and attacking situations. Coupled with Marijne’s proclivity for speedy give-and-go hockey, the team scored 21 field goals at the Asia Cup as tournament top-scorer Harmanpreet Singh bagged seven.