Hosts India were the ones expected to carry the Asian hopes deeper in the FIH Hockey World Cup but it’s surprisingly Korea who are doing it and in exemplary fashion, having set up a quarterfinal against the Netherlands following a nerve-jangling win over Argentina in the crossover game here on Monday.
The win against the Los Leones, where they bounced back from 3-5 down by scoring the equaliser with five minutes left and then bossed the shootout, was a throwback to the Korean sides between 1980 till the turn of the millennium. They were fleet-footed, showing no dip in energy till the final hooter, attacked the ball vehemently and importantly had the never-say-die desire.
Moment goalkeeper Kim Jeanyeon, who had an impressive game overall, made the final save in the shootout, he went charging to the corner flag and was mobbed by his team-mates, who danced wildly to the blaring music at the Kalinga Stadium. They knew what the win meant for them after seeing the sport suffer a massive decline over the last 15 years.
During a golden period starting with their first Asian Games gold in 1986 — they won three more (1994, 2002, 2006) — and a historic Olympic silver at Sydney 2000, the Koreans sometimes even supplanted traditional powerhouses India and Pakistan with their frenetic brand of hockey. However, despite the success, interest in hockey has taken a total nosedive with youngsters focusing on other career prospects that offer better returns.
“Not many are interested in hockey,” quipped coach Seok Shin following the stunning win over Argentina. “May be around the country 100-150 people play the sport. Let alone the talent pool, even the player pool is extremely limited. Getting kids to play the game and keeping them invested is extremely challenging.
“There are just four clubs — Seongnam, Kimae, Incheon and Army — which contribute players and money. There are about five universities that play the sport. We don’t even have a professional league. Hockey season starts in September and ends in October. So with such limitations, it’s a struggle as a coach. When players come to the national team, they are not as good as the elite teams of the world. So I only focus on basic skills like ball control, open receiving, how to get kick in attacking and how to defend.”
Spurred by the quarterfinal run, Shin is determined to get Korea back to the glory days. “We have a young team for the future. Next target is Hangzhou Asian Games and we want to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games. If these goals can be achieved, I hope there could be a revival back home.”
Korea take on Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
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