Whole system is improving, says Indian head coach Walsh

By Balbir Singh
CHANDIGARH: As a busy hockey year draws to a close, India's head coach hopes youth and experience will excite the home crowd, reports International Hockey Federation.

Terry Walsh has been the head coach of India for just under two years and recent medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games – including the first gold medal for India in 16 years – has made the affable Australian very popular among Indian hockey fans.

When he took the job on in 2013, the former Australian centre forward and highly regarded coach of teams such as the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia, said he was humbled to be offered the position.

Certainly India has a proud tradition of hockey success, but the past few years have proved barren when it comes to medals. A silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and that gold medal, won following a victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, at the Asian Games has reignited India’s love affair with the sport and their belief in the national side. The victory at the Asian Games has the added bonus of securing India’s place at the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Champions Trophy comes at the end of what Walsh describes as a busy year for any player or coach connected to the India team. The hockey calendar began with the Hockey World League Finals, then the Hockey World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, as well as other test series and international tournaments throughout the year.

"But," says Walsh, "such constant exposure is vital for the continued development of the team. The players needs every exposure possible at the highest level. We are looking at playing as many games with our squad as we can manage, as the opportunities to be involved in tournaments or test series of quality must be utilised wherever possible."

And of course, there will be the added pressure of vociferous home crowds at this year’s men’s Champions Trophy, which is being held at Bhubaneswar, India. Will that be a negative or a positive factor for the Indian players?

"No doubt there will be expectations from the crowds," said Walsh. "However the task for the team is to stay with the game structures and strategies. No doubt there will be a clash of passion and emotions, but that’s half the challenge."

Walsh’s calm presence and strategic hockey brain has proven crucial to India’s re-emergence as a winning force on the global stage. The team has always been recognised for the audacious talent of its players, but the problem historically lay with the lack of structure and discipline when things got difficult. Walsh’s coaching constantly reinforces the need for structure. Combine this with the fact that many of the Indian players now play with and against players from other countries in events such as the India Hockey League or through contracts with European clubs, and suddenly you have team of players with more structure in their game and more physicality to their play.

The Indian team for the Champions Trophy will be a mix of established players playing alongside a few who are, in Walsh’s words, "being blooded at this level". The head coach says: "This team is relatively young and we have to provide opportunities to play wherever possible. Along with seeing some of the present team grow on the international scene, a new face may include Lalit Upadhyay."

With their berth at the 2016 Olympics booked and two medals already won this year, things are definitely looking rosier for Indian hockey. What has brought about the changes? Walsh stresses the importance of depth within the ranks. "The whole system is improving at both senior and junior levels. There is a better structure and an understanding of the importance of a good physical base of preparation. These aspects have contributed to a growth in confidence levels."