Hockey has been a sport that India takes to and often excels at. When India meets Pakistan on the sports field there is always an extra spark of electricity, and last Sunday it happened with Cricket as well as with Hockey.
While the Cricket result pleased Pakistan, the 7-1 India Hockey win made Indian fans exuberant. The Pool B World Hockey League Semi-Final match took place just a couple of days ago on 18th June 2017. India was among the top tier countries, and nations were split into two pools. The event was organised by England Hockey.
Captain of the Indian Hockey team is Manpreet Singh, and he talked to us exclusively through Sporting Equals along with his Dutch India Coach, Roelant Oltmans.
First off we pumped the Team Coach, Roelant Oltmans for the secret tactics he is imparting to the Indian team.
His answers helped us understand what India is doing to raise its game.
Overview
Roelant Oltmans says that he is helping India become capable of competing on the same level as the best team in world. “ We want to make them fit and have the skills. Technical-wise, nutrition-wise, we want them to be aware of what is necessary to be an elite athlete. I train them hard. From day one I made them aware that it is never about being an individual, it is all about being a member of a team.”
Whenever India faces Pakistan there is a unique friendly rivalry. Whatever the politics between the two nations, there is a mutual respect and affection between the competitors in the main. Nonetheless, how does Roelant rate Pakistan Hockey?
“Pakistan is different to other teams; they have their own way of attacking. I don't want to go into detail because we know exactly what they are doing. For us it's important not to allow them or any opponent to come into the front and feel that they get momenum, That's important. We want to attack, we want to score goals, play our best. At the same time we can get overexcited!”
Calmly heeding his Coach's advice India Captain Manpreet Singh led his team to victory and has hopes for the coming matches this week. Indian Hockey Captains can assume the status of rock stars if they are good, and Manpreet, 25, is one to watch.
Background and Interest in Hockey
Manpreet Singh was born in Jalandhar, Punjab. His farmer father passed away last year and his mother is a housewife. His brothers are farmers.
He tells us; “I got interested in Hockey because where I come from, there was one guy, Bhagat Singh, he was very famous so I always wanted to be like him. My grandfather and both my brothers played great Hockey before. So I looked at them and I also wanted to play Hockey but it's a hard game. First my parents did not like me to play but my Coach said he is very passionate about Hockey so let him play and I started my Hockey career from there. The Coach in my village encouraged me.
After village I got selected in Surjit Hockey Academy; a really good academy in Punjab. I got selected for that in 2005 and I played for six years.” The Surjit Hockey Academy is a Punjab government institution for talented players where they study, train and stay as boarders free of charge. Manpreet Singh says;
“Every day I would play a morning and evening session of Hockey. Five-six hours. The Academy provides us with schooling as well. In the morning we have a training session. There are 60 boys in the Academy so we all go in one school after the morning training session. In the evening we get back and have another traning session. I lived there for six years. Everything is paid for by the Punjab government.”
Ambition
“When was a kid, I always wanted to be like Bhagat Singh, then when I joined the Surjit Hockey Academy I wanted to win a medal for India. That was a big achievement for me.
So how does Manpreet Singh feel about other the international Hockey teams he and his team will face now and in coming years? He comments,
“My favourite player is Moritz Furste, former team captain of Germany. Argentina and the Netherlands are very good and pose a challenge to us right now.”
