OPINION

Good start, but miles to go yet

THE under-19 hockey team’s victory in the four-nation invitation tournament at Kuala Lumpur comes as a good sign but what needs to be noted here is that neither do development squa-ds or their triumphs serve as significant portents nor is the euphoria genuinely heady. All it would accomplish, if indulged in excess, is dulling the cutting edge the team would have acquired in a major lung-opener of its kind.

There was a tilt towards hyperbole in the hockey ranks as victories turned routine in the Malaysian capital but coach Harendra Singh was quick and sensible enough to temper his joy and dourly declare that he had a lot of work to do before he could call this outfit truly world class.

Harendra should know better because he has succeeded Rajinder Singh, the coach who made things happen at Hobart before taking over the reins of the senior team. For all his frailties, Rajinder will be a tough act to follow and Harendra, a shrewd coach that he has always been, would rather tell himself that he ought to take one rung at a time before aiming for a place at the summit. The opportunity comes two years from now.

However, Harendra has already seen a few gems that would form the base of his team. One is captain Prabodh Tirkey, who has become a steadying force in the midfield. In fact, Tirkey being declared player of the tournament is great news for the federation, which has spent a major part of its hunt for such specialists with a furrowed brow.

The 3-2-3-2 pattern which the team adhered to in Kuala Lumpur is in keeping with the modern tenets of the game, where linkmen play an important role. So is the newfound vigour among the boys who have begun to undergo NSG commando training as a rule. Penalty corners are a bane but Harendra has got a reprieve of sorts, with the new rule allowing every attempt to be converted into free play.

As of now, it is more hard work for the team. Gill has promised more tours, more tournaments. The results over the next two years will throw up vital pointers and provide the contours of the final team. Till then, the mantra should ideally be elbow grease than puffery.

Third Man