JOIN USHaving flattered to deceive so far, the time has arrived for the Indian men’s hockey team to step it up at the 17th Asian Games.
With plenty of cracks still to paper over, the edgy Indians will take on hosts South Korea in the semifinals, a clash that may be a scrappy one with both teams starting as equals.
Indians arrived here in Incheon with confidence, following a silver medal finish at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games but they are yet to get their bearings right.
While they won their matches against minnows Oman and Sri Lanka quite comfortably, they were severely tested against arch-rivals Pakistan and China.
They lost the match to Pakistan 1-2, conceding the winner soon after they had struck the equaliser, and had to really grind past the tenacious Chinese.
Whether it’s exhaustion following a hectic season that also had the World Cup in May-June or the nerves of playing in an event as big as the Asiad where a gold guarantees a ticket to the Rio Olympics, only the players can tell.
Against Pakistan and China, they looked jaded and bereft of ideas. The attack lacked the bite in finishing while the midfield just didn’t piece together many notable moves, often spraying the ball around.
Part of the problem is because the heart of midfield engine, captain Sardar Singh, has pushed himself back to defence whenever it has come under pressure. One of the very few world class players in the side, the double workload of having to shore up the backline and at the same time provide the ammunition for the strikers is showing up on the skipper.
His presence is required more at the midfield and it’s time the defenders stepped up and relieved him of the double duty that could only augur well for the team.Having said that, the Indians can take heart from a 3-0 victory they posted over the hosts in the ninth place play-off match at the World Cup. There they beat the Koreans with their classic attacking play and defensive discipline.
While the Koreans are not the same side that fetched some major victories and rose up the world rankings with their pace and energy, they are looking at this event as a stepping stone for their future talent.
They certainly will be helped by the home support, who are expected to throng the Seonhak Stadium.
“We have achieved the first target of the competition and are now entering the crossover matches of the tournament,” said coach Terry Walsh. “Playing South Korea at their home environment brings some very good challenges for our team. We will need to bring a high quality of ball handling and decision making to the game.
“Matching South Korea’s urgency and physical strength must also be achieved. Our team has every capacity to be very effective in this match and I am confident that with endeavour and persistence we will do well in this semifinal.”Walsh has spoken his mind, it’s time for his wards to deliver.