There was pleasure each methods when Harendra Singh returned from his stint within the USA to take over as Indian girls’s hockey workforce head coach earlier this yr. For the gamers, it was joyous to see a well-known face. For Harendra, it was ‘ghar wapsi’ — an opportunity to work once more with the nationwide setup after some time. But it surely was clear to him within the first few days that there was a necessity for a rebuild. After the highs of ending 4th on the Tokyo Olympics, the ladies’s workforce didn’t even qualify for Paris 2024. Harendra’s first thought was to press the reset button. He recognized health as a main focus space. A military-style boot camp was organised on the Indian Naval Academy in Kannur, Kerala late in July that included actions like boat-pulling, impediment course, night time camps and tugs of struggle. And now, forward of the Ladies’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar beginning November 11, Harendra believes a brand new cycle should start. The Indian Specific caught up with the top coach for an interview.
We knew India deserved to win a medal on the Paris Olympics however sadly they didn’t qualify. Their shoulders had been down, they weren’t assured, the vibes within the workforce weren’t nice. It’s apparent if you dream of one thing for 4 years and don’t obtain it, 4 years of preparation from all stakeholders go haywire.
So we determined, no matter occurred, we can not return. Let’s start a brand new journey. Let’s concentrate on 2028. We are going to begin from zero. I additionally reminded them that 1928 was the primary time Indian males’s workforce ever received a hockey gold on the Olympics, so precisely 100 years later, let’s recreate historical past by successful a medal. That’s why our Whatsapp group’s identify is Mission 2028. In 2016 once we received the Junior World Cup, we had created an analogous group like that in 2014. It’s to make the gamers assume that they wish to be a part of this legacy. For me, that is about each second of day by day for 4 years. I would like these ladies to dream, not when they’re sleeping, however when their eyes and their minds are open.
May you inform us concerning the camp on the Indian Naval Academy?
Folks within the military, and navy know how one can work to maximise their output with restricted sources. That is without doubt one of the experiences I needed to provide the gamers. It’s not each time you’ll get what you need. Are you able to mentally put together your self for that? A number of the workouts we did helped each the gamers and the workers.
One thing like staying awake the entire night time, for instance. And if you find yourself fatigued, how mentally robust are you in making selections? The bonding between gamers additionally actually improved after the camp.
How did the gamers react to the camp?
Initially, they had been slightly apprehensive, as a result of they’d by no means performed something like this. As they are saying, you don’t know how one can swim and somebody throws you within the ocean. One factor they discovered was that they’d to assist one another. Frankly, the primary two days it was onerous for them. However as soon as they obtained their specifically designed commando-style uniforms for the camp, they began shifting round in it, I may see their personalities change completely. (smiles)
Through the Professional League this yr, you stated you needed the workforce to play ‘Indian masala hockey’.
That’s our power. When you see the boys’s workforce as nicely, the entire world will get scared to face the Indian-style masala hockey. What I imply by that may be a good mixture of particular person stick expertise mixed with sharp give-and-go.
If we get this mixture proper, there’s no trying again. I don’t wish to set my workforce up defensively. Sure, defensive construction is vital, however from the phrase go, the attacking mindset must be there. Extra circle entries, extra photographs, extra targets. I at all times believed, the Indian and Pakistani ‘masala’, you can not take that out of hockey. I imagine the sort of hockey we used to play 30 years or so in the past has come again now, and most groups play that manner. However simply that the pace and health ranges, together with penalty nook defences have improved rather a lot together with that. mixture of all that is what makes hockey thrilling.
May you inform us concerning the thought course of for choosing the ACT squad? A number of senior gamers like Vandana Katariya are absent.
We’re within the means of constructing a brand new workforce. Vandana isn’t injured, she is so vastly skilled and remains to be an enormous motivation for the group. I needed to provide kids an opportunity within the match in order that they get used to the strain, particularly enjoying in entrance of a house crowd.
I would like the younger gamers to not overlook the method in strain conditions. They should bear in mind ‘After I get the ball, I’ll make a great move, I’ll obtain it nicely and make the suitable transfer by staying within the second, not be bothered by the outcomes.’
What had been your learnings from the Professional League?
The highest most precedence was health, power, and pace, which the day we landed in Bangalore after the Professional League, we began engaged on. We have now extremely expert gamers, that’s our power. When you have talent and pace, the tactical half can come after that, which we’re engaged on now.
The suggestions from the women can be that when they’re absolutely match, they really feel able to difficult any workforce within the prime six. After our work over the previous couple of months, they’re feeling gentle, they’re feeling energetic, they really feel they’ve the ability of their legs to actually run onerous. Within the league, we noticed how they improved from the primary sport to final, you might see they had been near successful video games by the top. So if in two weeks we will enhance that a lot, think about what we will do in 4 years, that was my message to them.