German great Furste credits Hockey India League for bloom

Bengaluru: The Hockey Stadium at Akkithimmanahalli on Tuesday was teeming with young players waiting to pick the brains of Moritz Furste, the German hockey legend who was in the city as part of the official delegation of the German foreign minister Johann Wadephul.  

For Furste, however, gratitude was the prevailing theme. 

“For me, it is fantastic to meet my former team-mates and the people I played against for a long time,” Furste told DH. “We were fighting and trying to win games. And now, we meet again to talk about how things are running in our country. That’s really a blessing.” 

The two-time Olympic gold medallist was also excited to bring both worlds (politics and sports) together and was hopeful that both countries could learn from each other. 

Hockey in India has taken a lift off after both the men’s and women’s sides ended decades in the doldrums by making the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics.

While the women’s team went down in the bronze medal play-off, the men’s side bagged back-to-back medals in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

“India were always known for their spectacular style,” Furste noted. “They had individual stars who were very skillful. But the level was not high. It was all individual brilliance. At that time, they couldn’t compete on a strategic level against European teams. But I think they are absolutely there now and have been playing for medals at the Olympic Games and World Cups.”

While the athletes deserve credit for how they have developed over the years, the impact the Hockey India League (HIL) has had on Indian hockey is significant. Despite some hits-and-misses with finance and scheduling, it has developed young stars and has made experienced ones more mature while brushing shoulders with the world’s best. 

According to Furste, the HIL has allowed India to be more tactical, structured and mature with respect to their own game. 

“I think, especially through the HIL, the Indian players have managed to get more mature with their playing style. More mature in regards to how they structure the game, how they tactically play. It’s not only individual play anymore.”

While support needs to come from every front, Furste highlighted the importance of education in molding an athlete at the international level. 

“The education of the players plays such a big role in international hockey,” he observes. “If you can’t speak English, you will never dare to ask for the video umpire. And this was happening, right?  If you can’t talk to your team-mates, you can’t get better. Over the years, education got better. So I think the progress of Indian hockey has been amazing.”

One of the most talked about aspects in Indian sport is physicality. While India’s raw, athletic game is still being refined, the 2006 World Cup winner thinks that the players’ physicality has massively helped their success. 

“The game is so fast now. The physicality is the biggest difference. So that’s an important variable. I don’t know the results from 10 years ago but the results now, I think physicality has a definite part to play.” he concluded.