In Gwalior begins Mission Tokyo for Indian hockey team

NEW DELHI: It is exactly 49 days since India were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the hockey World Cup by The Netherlands. In the seven weeks since, there have been a lot of changes in the backroom staff. Chief coach Harendra Singh is gone, the analytical coach’s (Chris Ciriello) position has been put on review and high-performance director David John has been handed temporarily responsibility of the senior squad.

While the impact of these changes will take some time to have a proper effect because of a lack of international fixtures, John & Co have a chance to lay down a marker at the ‘A’ Division Nationals beginning in Gwalior on Thursday. Everybody, from captain Manpreet Singh to teen stars like Mandeep Mor, will be in action for their state sides and employers over the next 11 days.

John, and other members of the selection committee led by BP Govinda, will be in attendance to pick 33 core probables for the national side. Even if more than a few pick themselves, some of the places will be up for grabs as HI plans the best course of action ahead of a crucial year. In terms of competitions lined up, there are just two. But, they are both extremely important to India’s short-term prospects in the sport. The pre-Olympic qualifier followed by the Olympic qualifier.

It’s why the Nationals has assumed great importance. Usually, it’s an afterthought. This year, the stakes could not be higher. The presence of all India players has added to the interest surrounding the meet. All of this represents a great opportunity for the fringe players. Perform and a possible reward will be wearing the India jersey.

The selection committee will be looking to plug a few problem areas. At the back, there is a feeling within the management that PR Sreejesh, especially after suffering an ACL injury in 2017, hasn’t shown his best form. This newspaper has learnt that HI’s high performance and development committee has finding an alternate goalkeeper at the top of the agenda for 2019. Many believe that the highly-rated Suraj Karkera will eventually take Sreejesh’s place but if that doesn’t work out, HI want to see other options.

Up front, Ramandeep Singh will return after missing the last six months with a knee injury. The forward, even if he doesn’t score many goals, brings others into play with his off-the-ball movement. HI will closely monitor his return and he will be a shoo-in if he has recovered. Another player who has a lot riding on the next 10 days is SV Sunil, the speedy winger who was dropped from the World Cup squad even though he had fully recovered from an injury sustained less than a month before the beginning of the bash.
“The next batch of probables will be selected based on what they did in internationals in the recent past and what they will do here. We will also keep an eye out for youngsters who catch our eye. If we do come across potential, they could find themselves in the core group,” said John.

Regulars like Akashdeep Singh and Mandeep Singh will also be in action but there are no guarantees over their places because India’s strikers have generally been profligate in the recent past. It’s believed that HI wants fresh blood in the above-mentioned two departments but they will also keep an eye out for talented stars who have lost their way a bit.

For instance, Odisha’s Dipsan Tirkey was earmarked for greatness when he won the junior World Cup in 2016 but hasn’t had the same impact since. Another young turk is Vivek Sagar Prasad, who led India colts to silver at the Hockey 5s event at the Youth Olympics. It’s no hyperbole to suggest that the run-up to Tokyo begins in Gwalior on Thursday.