India’s long wait for an Olympic medal in hockey has finally ended on Thursday. Forty-one years after last winning the gold medal at the Moscow Games, the Indian men’s hockey held on to their nerves to win 5-4 against Germany in the bronze medal playoff.
MM Somaya, former Indian hockey captain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, is over the moon with the Indian men’s hockey team’s bronze medal show in Tokyo.
Speaking exclusively to News18.com minutes after the hooter went, signalling India’s win against Germany, Somaya said: “It was such a roller coaster ride, going up and down often but India held on in the end. I am very happy for the team and the management because they worked hard over the last two years and it was the just reward for not only playing well in this tournament but also for being consistent for the last two years. Today’s medal is a fair reward for the commitment over the two-year period.”
TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS – LIVE | FULL COVERAGE | INDIA IN FOCUS | SCHEDULE | RESULTS | MEDALS TALLY | PHOTOS | OFF THE FIELD | EBOOK
Agreeing that this medal has come after a long gap, the 62-year-old Somaya also credited the coaches who have shaped this team over the years. “It is about a series of coaches, some of the world’s best coaches like Terry Walsh, Roelant Oltmans and currently Graham Reid. They come with a full retinue of coaches, an entourage. It is not only the main coach but also their team of support staff including the fitness coach, the scientific advisor, you have a game analyst who analyses the opposition and your game tactics. Of course, there is a good exposure that was given to the team. It is a combination of factors. This time, we got it right. That is the reason why we won.”
Asked if this Indian team could have entered the final or this bronze medal was the best they could have won, Somaya said: “It’s difficult to say but I feel that there could be a little more improvement in certain areas. We lost to Belgium, there was a little loss of focus. Before the tournament, I had written that we should get a medal. They lived up to my expectations at least. I also said the women’s team should come to the quarterfinals and the men’s team should win a medal. I think both have lived up to not only my expectations but also the expectations of everyone. Personally, I felt it was a very deserving medal after so many years. To get over the mindset that if we cannot win an Olympics medal was important. We got over that mental block today.”
Relive: India vs Germany - As it Happened | In Pics
The Indian women’s hockey team take on Great Britain in the bronze medal play-off on Friday morning (7am IST).
Somaya said everyone contributed to the team’s win and that they delivered when it mattered. He said: “It’s difficult to pinpoint individuals but I would say that people like Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Rupinder Pal Singh were the key. It was a combined team effort. We were banking on these players and they rose to the expectations, rose to the occasion. There was contribution from everyone, from a Nilakanta Sharma to a Sumit. They were playing very important roles. Simranjeet Singh came in and got two goals today. So it was a combined team effort.”
The former India hockey captain said that the Indian team could pose a dual threat of scoring field goals and converting penalty corners. However, he said that penalty corner conversions and safeguarding them were the areas that need to be looked into for improvement.
ALSO READ | Meet the 5 Heroes of India Who Ended 41 Years Wait
He explained: “Every time there is a scope for improvement but they have got many goals through penalty corners at crucial times. That is a good thing. Not only in lesser games but also the important games including today, we have got goals from penalty corners. And, we have got excellent field goals too. Once we pose this dual threat of field goals and penalty corner conversions, we will be difficult to hold back. I am quite happy with the penalty conversion.”
It is also a tactic to bag penalty corners in your favour, and the Indian team was found lacking in this department on many occasions.
“However, in some games, the team did not win the penalty corners, I agree. These are the areas of improvement the team has to look into. They did in some games, not all the games. That’s how you defend, and in defending, you have to be very nimble on your feet. There again, in defending, we have to be a little more cautious because we have given too many penalty corners. Overall conversion is good but in safeguarding, we have conceded too many penalty corners that can be dangerous. The benefit to us was the rusher. The rusher for the penalty corners for us was too good. He was defending that. We did not concede that except against Belgium.”
Asked what this medal meant for him personally, Somaya said: “I am elated. We all were looking forward to this medal for many, many years, partly from my playing time and after that. In the Olympics, all the teams come with their top players. There is no resting. It is a full cycle of hockey preparation. Barring that match against Australia, you have beaten all the good teams and been toe to toe with Belgium. I am delighted and the boys have played well above their expectations. Am really happy for the coach and the coaching staff.”
Somaya believed that this brilliant performance from the Indian men should give an impetus to the sport in the country.
“Now, the interest in sponsors and youngsters to play may get a little push. A lot needs to be done by the administration to capitalise on this win, because winning is one thing. How you promote the sport will be important. You have to promote the sport in a very structured way across different age groups and get some more good sponsors. You already have some very good sponsors and we can give the best of the facilities to the hockey players. These are the areas you need to follow up, not just sit on the win and hope for the euphoria to carry forward the team.”
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here