AS India take to the field against Great Britain for the opening game of the 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, Roelant Oltmans will take his now customary place in the dugout. He has made the place his own, thanks to a good year with the senior team, but knows the pressure is on to prove that 2016 was no flash in the pan. In an interview with Express, he talks about the hectic upcoming calendar, changes in staff and where the national team is at in the pecking order. Excerpts...
On lead-up to the first tournament of a new Olympic cycle
We can be satisfied with the progress made. When we start again, it’s never at a level we finished the year before. You always rebuild a couple of things, and that process has gone smoothly. Besides that, we’re in a transitional phase. I’m curious to see where we are in terms of level at this tournament.
On changes in support staff
We always work with a staff of 8-9 people, so there’s no major change. We do have one extra coach (Jugraj Singh is the side’s drag-flick coach), but in 2013 and 2014 also we had two Indian coaches. With respect to Hans (Streeder), he’s someone who I’ve worked with before, and both of us know each other well.
On the upcoming season
In the end, there is only one important tournament — the World Cup. It’s demanding of course. At the same time, it’s good to have lots of important competitions building up to the World Cup. But you’ve to learn how to peak at the required moments. This year, we’ve said the Asia Cup and World Hockey League Final are the two big moments for us. Next year, the Asian Games and World Cup. That doesn’t mean that in the other tournaments we don’t want to perform. You can’t play every tournament on your toes. That’s difficult.
On the best thing to happen during his time in India
Nowadays, everybody understands what’s needed in a professional setting to reach the top again. And there’s full support in that aspect from Hockey India and Sports Authority of India. Everybody understands what’s needed for the team to be one of the best in the world. That’s what we’re aiming for, and I’ve always said it’ll take time. The way things are set up makes that possible, and that’s all we can ask for. The best thing is that the attitude of making excuses is not there anymore. Even players understand that. Among them, there’s a feeling of ‘guys, we get all the facilities and it’s now up to us to show the world how good we are’.
On the current core
They’re getting closer all the time. It’s not an overnight process. We’ve definitely improved, and even the face of world hockey has changed. In the past, the top three used to be Netherlands, Germany and Australia, then the rest. That’s not the case now. A lot of good sides are there or thereabouts. You have Argentina, Belgium, Great Britain, New Zealand... we’re also definitely in there. That’s good because it keeps us on our toes everyday when entering training. We want to improve daily, and that’s the attitude I want from the boys.
swaroop@newindianexpress.com