Chak De India! Hockey Team Makes History With Champions Trophy Silver. Here's Why Rio 2016 Should Now Be Exciting

Team Hockey India may not have won the Champions Trophy, having lost the finals to the redoubtable Aussies in a pulsating final, a few hours ago, but the way they performed through the tournament should gladden the heart of any hockey lover, anywhere in the world. For it signals the re-emergence of a nation that was once the pride of hockey.

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Hints of what the team is capable of doing have been growing. For a team that had not won a real world class event since the Olympic Gold in Moscow, way back in 1980, making it to the finals of the premier world event, for the first time ever, is no mean feat. In fact, one could argue that considering the western world¡¯s boycott of Moscow Olympics, the last genuine world title we really won was the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

We lost the match ..But .. We won millions of heart ..Be proud boys #silver #HCT2016 #BestOfTheBest @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/EF2hccI28t

¡ª sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) June 18, 2016

But that is history. In between, the game has undergone a complete metamorphosis. The surface has switched from grass to artificial, leather balls have been replaced with synthetic ones and wooden sticks have been replaced with fibre glass, graphite and carbon. Rules too have changed and the game has become faster, and, I believe, even more skillful than it was earlier, because the pace at which it is now played, even while the ball is controlled, is mind-boggling.

Team India ¨C Then and Now

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Glimpses of what India is capable of were there even in the early 80s, when the likes of Mohd Shahid, Zafar Iqbal, Pargat Singh, MM Somaya, Mervyn Fernandes, Manohar Topno, among others represented India. In fact, man for man, or even position to position, these guys were not only better than most in the current team, but perhaps the best in the world at the time.

Fitness:

How the current team, however, is different is that it has far greater self-confidence. Self belief. That they can take on the best. Although that team too was fit, this team is awesome. And in physique too, some of the guys can not only stand head to head, but more than hold their own against the strongest from the European nations. The names of Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh come to mind, often called the twin-towers of world defence. They also have the attitude and do not get cowed down by either reputation or bullying tactics of their opponents. If you have followed the game closely over the years, this is such a key element to improved performances.

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Back to the fitness levels, it is not unusual to see an SV Sunil or a Manpreet enter the opponent¡¯s D in an attack and the very next minute, clearing the ball from their own circle. This was unimaginable earlier. People would stick to their position. Now, anyone can perform any role. The fitness levels required for this can only be appreciated by those who have played the game. That, some of the top nations too don¡¯t do it as well as the current Indian team is testimony to their fitness levels. Kudos!

One also likes the speed that some of the youngsters have, including SV Sunil, who is perhaps the speediest winger in the world currently. It is a treat to see him show a clean pair of heels to defenders once he is past them.

Goal-keeping

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Goal-keeping was always a weak link in Indian teams, or at least, it was never a strong point. The ¡®wall-of-India¡¯ (with apologies to Rahul Dravid), PR Sreejesh, however, has changed it all. Just like Jonty Rhodes changed the perception that there is more to cricket than batting and bowling and that fielding can win matches, Sreejesh has done to same to Indian hockey. You can have great forwards, awe-inspiring dribblers, players with a flair, but the man under the bars can be pivotal to your result. Some of our big achievements in the recent years have been due to his performances, not the least of it is the Asiad Hockey final where his heroics ensured we won the gold and got a straight entry into Rio Olympics.

The Hockey India League

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The Hockey India League too has played an important part in the self-belief among players. Big monies has ensured that the best in the world come and play here. And once here, they play alongside the best in India, and also the second and third string Indians. This gives the youngsters a chance to learn from the reigning greats of world hockey, see them from close, indeed learn and be mentored by them. This helps in big games, as they enter the field, no longer overawed by their presence, but in the knowledge that they have played alongside and if they can do it, so can we.

The flaws, the irritants

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But that still doesn¡¯t mean all is hunky dory. Despite some great performances, we still have niggles and shortcomings. The sort that separates men from boys, champions from flash-in-the-pan actors.

Trapping:

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I still find our players awful in some of the basics such as Ball trapping. Although it has seen some improvements in recent years, we are not a patch on the Aussies or the Europeans. Our players still take a fraction extra to control a hard hit cross, or to intercept an opponent¡¯s pass. At top levels, that extra fraction can be the difference between a tame move and a fierce attack. At times one is astounded how the Europeans dead stop a hard shot meters away, as if the ball was rolled to them gently.

Aerial ball:

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Although the likes of Sardara Singh have the knack of giving defence splitting passes, it is the aerial route that is the safest. All top nations use this route regularly and with great success. Our players too try it, but our success ratio compared to others would be 10:1. We can never control the aerial ball, and it bounces off, out of control, and play. Wasted opportunity.

Give ball away too easily:

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A lot of hard work goes into making a move. At that time, to give away a ball easily to the defender not only wastes the effort, but allows the opponents to launch a counter attack. And since it happens when the entire team was moving forward, all are caught off-guard.

Concede easy PCs and last minute jitters:

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We must be unique in the world in this respect. Something happens to the best of our guys under pressure (I know this contradicts what I said earlier about the difference between pour teams then and now). Several of our heartbreak moments have happened during the final moments. As I have always said, the last couple of minutes in a match are the longest minutes for any Indian hockey lover. They never seem to end. Yes, there have been some improvements in recent months, but it needs a lot of work still.

The jitters are also on display when we enter the D. We seem to lose all ideas once in. You have dodged the best defenders to get in, but the goalie needs to be dodged too. A shot, howsoever hard it is, needs to go past the goalie. It can¡¯t go THROUGH him, if you know what I mean.

Consistency

Consistency is a factor that wee need to really work on. We can be a well-oiled machine one moment, mesmerising one and all, and a bunch of 11 prodigals the next.

Having said that, though, there is more than hope. As I said earlier, the re-emergence of team India is great news for hockey worldwide. As soon as there is consistency in our performance and we start doing well at top levels, there would be resurgence in spectator interest.

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Honestly, very few sports can match the pace at which a top quality hockey match is played. As a spectator sport too, it is spectacular ¨C coloured pitch, dazzling speeds and stick work, quick exchange of passes at lightening speed etc can be a treat to watch.

To watch your nation¡¯s team do so, with consistency, is an even bigger treat.

So, here¡¯s to the real Team India. You have it all in you. Now just do your best in Rio. As long as you give your best, the results would come.