Misc. news about Indian hockey

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Saffron Lenin
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by Saffron Lenin »

Only if in this way our defence plays then we are very difficult team to beat!!!!
It sometimes remind me of 2011 cricket World Cup when our bowling was shit (although it is also shit today 😝).
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by ssp »

Wow. That was totally unexpected. The defending against Australia is almost always awful because they punish the little errors (which we are guaranteed by all Indian teams) and then their conversation rate of half chances is the best in the world.
Getting the winner in the last minute was handy because we weren't going to hold on otherwise ;)
Let's hope we continue this form
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by jayakris »

^^^ In other words, you didn't watch the match. Took one for the team. And we won :) .... Thanks for the sacrifice then.\

Jokes apart, this was really nice news today. I don't get to watch hockey here in the US, so have to rely on what all of you say.
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by ssp »

Frankly, I was fearing the usual 6-7 goal losses and so didn't want to watch, especially as the same old faces were going to be in the team.

I watched a replay of yesterday's win and we were pleasantly competitive. However, the umpiring became really harsh on us as soon as we took a 3-2 lead. A couple of iffy PCs and a green card ensured Australia equalised. Luckily my 2 favourites, Mandeep and Akashdeep combined to score the winner.

There are still too many silly turnovers and mindless aerials that almost always end up as a foul or the opposition gain possession. Mandeep made one good pass, but was otherwise his usual self. Raj Kumar Pal is another one that regularly messes up.

Tackling was better but so many times, our players' footwork and body position (not low enough) is poor. Sometimes, they are holding the stick in one hand and on the reverse side and get beaten easily or give away a foul.

The commentators were praising the improved team defence- shorter gaps between the defenders, midfielders and forwards and markers stepping in FRONT of the opposition players to break up dangerous moves. Stuff that we just haven't been doing well ....forever!
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

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Yah.... Commentators were regularly pointing out smaller gaps in defense......That was one of the pleasing thing to tear woohoo
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

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I don't know whether it's true or not, but one Commentator said that "india has very creative and skillful forwards in team which are very difficult to defend. Only if India's defense improves it will relieve extra pressure on forwards and they will become much more difficult "
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by ssp »

Back to normal in the 4th test. 5-1 loss. Totally expected after the high of the 3rd test. Honestly, these results are guaranteed unless we change the sub standard players that we keep selecting year after year. :damn: :damn:
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by Saffron Lenin »

Luckily, today i didn't watch the match
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

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I think we should work on our domestic set up
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by Saffron Lenin »

I have heard that pro- league is too costly for many hockey playing nations, so they could revert back to old champion trophy system.....
The root cause of our hockey lagging behind is probably our lack of club hockey or league
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by ssp »

I think we should work on our domestic set up
Yes, indeed. A proper league that allows talent (coaches as well as players) to come through is badly needed. We are over 40 years too late already!

Selecting players on merit is also a big problem. So many promising players are discarded for no reason and those that are in favour can relax as performance has no bearing on their future involvement with the team.
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by Saffron Lenin »

Do you have any idea when HIL is coming back?
Dilip tirkey said that he is working for revival of HIL
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by sameerph »

So, South African Craig Fulton is appointed our coach in place of Graham Reid. This is an article with details-

Craig Fulton appointed as chief coach of India men’s Hockey team, succeeds Graham Reid
His rise to fame started with a stint with the Irish Men’s Team as the head coach between 2014 to 2018 when the team qualified for the Rio Olympic Games 2016. This historic feat also won him the FIH Coach of the Year in 2015.

Following this, he worked as the assistant coach with reigning Olympic Champions Belgium, where the Belgium team won the Gold medal in Tokyo. He was also part of the Belgian coaching staff when the team lifted the World title in 2018, in Bhubaneswar.
Assistant coach of Belgian team which won gold at Tokyo olympics.

Does that satisfy your qualification criteria, Jay ? :D
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by jayakris »

^^^ Not really, but close. If he was the head coach of Belgium, of course it would qualify (much more than qualify!). I think he was THE assistant coach, and not just somebody in the coaching staff, so I can take it as he was a big part of what they did. And Belgium did much more than what I look for - which is just a podium finish at Olympics/Champions/WorldCup. They went and won a world cup and an Olympics gold. Plus, he has the record of being a national head coach of Ireland and pulling off miracles with that team who were nowhere in the scene when he got there - which is why Belgium went after him. And Belgium was not going to go for somebody not good. I think they have been the most diligently planned, developed and organized national side over the last decade. And with him as the asst coach, they won two biggies too. So the resume almost fits my criterion!

I am upbeat about this hire. But Indian egos are a whole other thing (in both the players and administrators). Whether he is able to wade through that morass remains to be seen. He certainly has the coaching ability, no doubt. I will trust him. But our selectors need to give him the team he wants - which they may not!
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Re: Misc. news about Indian hockey

Post by Saffron Lenin »

I would like to hear expert advice of ssp too :mrgreen:
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