Juniors must be groomed at right time, says Oltmans

Bengaluru: With a twinkle in his eye, men’s hockey coach Roelant Oltmans has set his sights on new foundations at the national camp after India’s positive show at the 2016 Rio Olympics where the former gold medallists reached the knock-out stage after a gap of 36 years.

Speaking at the Sports Authority of India here on Thursday, the Dutchman was buoyant about the 11 Junior World Cuppers breaking into the side with admirable performances that clinched the Junior World Cup in December.

“They bring new energy to a group. I want to develop them properly and push the seniors and I am sure quite a few of them will come to represent India in the future,” Oltmans, whose contract runs till 2020, said.

The 33-strong probables list features a blend of youth and experience, with the camp serving as a precursor to April’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia followed by the World League Semi-Final in June, the Asia Cup in September and the World League Final in December.

Although Oltmans believes his side are capable of winning silverware, he acknowledged that the Azlan Shah will prove a testing ground for his young guns. “Azlan Shah is the first tournament with the new group, with the trials in two weeks. It’s good to face top teams like Holland and Pakistan and see where we are with this new group,” he said.

The coach added that a few senior players would have to eventually step aside as his burgeoning crop emerge through the ranks, leading up to showpiece events the 2018 World Cup where India play host.

“If we don’t give the youngsters a chance to develop properly, they will never be there in 2020 Tokyo or the 2022 World Cup. That is something you always have to take into consideration. If I don’t take in these youngsters, this talent pool will drop,” he explained.

Raghunath likely to remain sidelined
Oltmans signalled it was the beginning of the end for experienced drag-flicker V.R. Raghunath. The 29-year-old, who featured in the Rio Olympics, was a shock omission from the list.

“To be honest, I don’t think Raghu can force his way back into the team. An experienced player has not been picked as a result of so many youngsters reaching similar levels (Pardeep Mor, Dipsan Tirkey and Harmanpreet Singh). If Raghu were still there, one of these youngsters would not develop. They need to be ready at any given moment to replace not only Raghu, but other experienced players. It is what it is and Raghu is very understanding about this.

“This is the normal process all over the world, especially at the start of a new Olympic cycle. Coaches have to look to the future.”