‘Juniors are ready to take on any team’

Practice was in full swing at the Sports Authority of India hockey field where the junior men’s team, under the watchful eyes of India head coach Roelant Oltmans and junior men’s coach Harendra Singh, sweated it out during a strength and conditioning and ‘defend lifting skills’ drills on Tuesday.

The colts, fresh from a thumping 5-2 victory over world champions Germany at a recent four-nation tournament in Valencia, now have the junior World Cup beginning in Lucknow from December 8, in their sights.

With exactly a month to go, the team, barring some tweaks, appear ready, thanks to a series of good performances in the Australian Hockey League and Valencia. Add to this, the experience that Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh Chahal have brought in following their stint in Rio with the national team, the colts look a formidable force.

Talking about preparations, Harendra felt exposure had played a key role in shaping the team’s recent success. “If you go back to the 70s, Australia made frequent trips to India and Pakistan because they knew if they wanted to be the best, they had to beat the best. That’s what we’ve planned now,” he said.

“The one thing that I really like about the boys is that they’re not afraid on the pitch. Mentally and physically, they are ready to take on any team. That’s a very good sign,” he added.

The colts’ coaching staff seem to have taken a leaf out of the European coaching manual by bringing in a rotation policy. While it provides chance for everyone to show their mettle, it also means an injury-free squad.

“In the past, the system in India was player-centric. Now, we’re finally placing emphasis on the team. Earlier, everyone used to look up to that one star player, but that’s not the case any more. We had more followers in a team than leaders, but now it’s the reverse. And that’s thanks to the system that we’ve followed and the manner in which we have stuck to the core group of players. It’s no longer about a single player,” Harendra said.

Asked about home advantage, Harendra felt that emotions would be high and there would also be a lot of expectations.

“The U-21s have a very fragile mind. Since it’s happening at home, there is more energy on the pitch and it’s crucial that the coach and the players understand that you cannot convert that energy into emotion. Then you might miss the road,” he said.

“For us the countdown has begun. But we need to control our emotions and work on our goals. Yes, there’s a lot of expectation and there’s no denying it,” the coach added.