The phenomenal success at the Tokyo Olympics has ignited the hopes of the Indian men’s hockey team to stop the Australian juggernaut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Australia’s dominance in the Commonwealth Games is a matter of envy. Since the sport’s debut in the quadrennial event 24 years ago, world No. 1 Australia has been the most dominant force to date, winning all six gold medals.
With renewed optimism and confidence in the Indian players, it appears the men’s team has a great opportunity to end Australia’s gold rush in the event.
The Indian team, which won the historic Olympic bronze medal last year after a gap of 41 years, has improved by leaps and bounds under Australian Graham Reid.
India’s best results came in 2010 at Home (New Delhi) and Glasgow (2014) when it finished runners-up. The team finished fourth twice – in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, where the sport made its debut, and in 2018 on the Gold Coast.
In the earlier editions, fitness was an area that was a cause for concern but the current Indian team is considered to be one of the fittest sides in world hockey.
Improved fitness has translated into results. After winning a historic bronze medal in Tokyo, the Indian men finished third behind Belgium and the Netherlands in this season’s FIH Pro League.
And if players play to the best of their ability, there’s no reason why Indians can’t bring home their first gold from Birmingham.
But it would be easy to say, because the competition in hockey in the Commonwealth Games is quite tough. Apart from Australia, Indians will also have to outperform teams like New Zealand, England, arch-rivals Pakistan and Canada.
The Indian men are placed in Pool B along with hosts England, Canada, Wales and Ghana, while Pool A includes Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Scotland.
India’s head coach Graham Reid is quite confident about his team’s good performance in Birmingham.
“It is very difficult to predict what will happen but (on winning gold) anything is possible, because in current international hockey the gap between teams is very small,” Reid told PTI.
“But we cannot control the uncontrollable. We can only control what is in our capacity.”
It’s not like everything is hunky dory because there are some visible gray areas – like penalty corner conversions and defense – that Reid needs to work out before the quadriplegic incident.
India have a strong penalty corner line in the form of vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar and young Jugraj Singh but they need to work on their conversion rate.
When it comes to scoring soft goals, the defenders also need to do better.
In experienced PR Sreejesh, India is a world class goalkeeper who is surely eyeing a gold medal in his last Commonwealth Games.
“This will definitely be my last Commonwealth Games and I am looking forward to come back with a gold. Although Australia has won all the gold so far, this team has the potential to beat Australia. We have defeated them in the past as well,” Sreejesh said.
Former India captain Sardar Singh also feels that India have a great opportunity.
“This team is full of confidence after their performances in Tokyo and the Pro League. All they need is to give their best on the field. If they can play to the best of their ability, anything can happen.”
Indian women will also envision their chances in Birmingham, especially after a stellar Olympic campaign in Tokyo, where they finished a historic fourth, and secured a credible third place in their first Pro League this season.
Indian women’s best result in the CWG came in 2002 when she won a gold medal in Melbourne and then a silver medal in the following edition.
Indian women finished fourth twice in the 1998 and 2018 Gold Coast editions.
In women’s hockey too, Australia has dominated the CWG, winning four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. But it was New Zealand who won the gold medal in the Gold Coast.
Apart from Australia and New Zealand, hosts England are also contenders for the podium.
Indian women have been placed in Pool A along with England, Canada, Wales and Ghana. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Scotland and Kenya completed Pool B.
For Indian women too, penalty corner change remains their biggest concern.
recently World In the cup, the Indians created plenty of opportunities to score goals from penalty corners as well as open play but lost most of the chances.
And going into the Commonwealth Games, head coach Janke Schopman will look much better than her forward and dragflick specialist Gurjit Kaur.
If all goes well, Indian women can also step onto the Commonwealth Games stage.
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