With a new set of minds in charge of the Indian hockey team, new and innovative ideas are being tried out. Help is being sought even from unexpected quarters, the idea being that improved fitness has a direct bearing on an improved show on the field.
Indian hockey chief coach Joaquim Carvalho hit upon the idea of using Sports Authority of India's badminton coach Ganguly Prasad's expertise to train the goalkeepers before the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The hockey team is getting ready for another big assignment ­– the Champions Challenge in Belgium next month. And Prasad is back to help the team. Obviously, the experiment has helped. This time, Prasad is working as the physical trainer and passing his knowledge to the hockey players.
"Badminton players need a higher level of reaction abilities. I started using some badminton physical training concepts and tried to improve the reaction abilities of the goalkeepers last time. Of course, I had to make some changes since the two games have different requirements," said Prasad, who is in charge of badminton activities at the Sports Authority of India Southern Centre, where the hockey team’s camp is currently under way.
"I understand that the goalkeepers found it useful, and my help was sought for the full team. But this time, I have to train the players according to the roles they play. For example, a forward may not have the same requirements as a midfielder," he added.
‘Just supplementary’
"The players are fit and my aim is to improve their fitness further. Since the camp is not very long, I can't do much and it will be game-specific. My training will only supplement the chief coach's on-field training.
"To handle such a big number of players is a little challenging. Badminton is an individual sport and I am used to training individuals. If there was more time, I could have made plans for individual players," Prasad said.
Indeed, one can't achieve wonders in a short duration. To implement comprehensive plans, one needs time. "Change can't happen overnight. It takes time to adopt new things. I am only supplementing what the coach is doing. To adopt a different system will take time."
Used to training top badminton players for a long time, training hockey players is perhaps a very different experience for Prasad. "It is a challenge for me," he stated. "But it is also good because it makes me think more. I am used to badminton and the same set of ideas. It is a good experience for me too because I have to learn their requirements and make plans."
The good thing here is that the players are approaching Prasad's training with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. "The players are receptive and cooperative when I explain something or tell them to do something. There is good participation from their side too, and it makes things a lot easier for me," Prasad opined.
Changing tack
Prasad, under whom top players like Aparna Popat and Nikhil Kanetkar currently train, has been using concepts like coordinative reaction drills and strength exercises as part of the intensity training. As the tournament nears, there will be more of speed and agility training.
"I have been trying out signal runs and jump runs, among other things, on the players. But again, the requirements are different. The forwards need to be agile, while the defenders need more strength. I am therefore working out exercises for all," Prasad said, while maintaining that training the hockey team would only be during camps.
Working with hockey players has been a good experience for the badminton coach. Surely, there is something to pick up from the hockey camp? "The requirements for hockey, I have observed, are very different from what a badminton player needs. One thing I saw is the toughness of hockey players and the heavy workloads they can soak up," Prasad stated.
"Badminton players can pick up a tip or two from the mental and physical fitness of the hockey players. In fact, I want the shuttlers to have a few training sessions with the hockey team. It could be useful," Prasad remarked.
Innovation, it seems, is helping for the better. And it seems to be helping both ways, too.