CHENNAI: On Saturday, the Men in Blue (India) and Black Sticks Men (New Zealand) showed their A-game on the field at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium with their hockey sticks. New Zealand’s goalkeeper Dominic Dixon was swift enough to ‘prevent’ the hockey ball from crossing the goal line.
But Indian players were determined to take the ball to its destination — the net or the goal. Defender Sanjay and midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad scored two goals in the second and third quarters, respectively. With a 2-2 tie in score, captain and defender Harmanpreet Singh with his drag-flick — a scoring technique — led the Indian team to win the match.
“New Zealand is a tough team and if we win against them or rather win the first match of the season, it gives the team an upper hand in the tournament,” says Vasudevan Baskaran, a former field hockey player and coach. He was the captain of the playing 11 when India won gold at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
In a chat with CE, Vasudevan Baskaran details the game’s evolution since the ’80s and how it has been played at the Olympics.
Gaming change
“Between 1980 and 1988, we played with a leather ball which usually soaked and became a rugby ball. This required stronger legs and forearms to hit the ball. When the ball became wet, stopping became difficult,” he shares. Later on, in the nineties, the game’s rules changed. This included hip shots and backhand shots, the goalkeeper had more equipment to play with, and many such. According to Vasudevan, these are a few developments which pulled down India’s hockey game.
He points out that the game has become faster now and every player is trained to play every position. “Germany, Belgium, and Argentina play All Hockey. They know how to play, defend, and score. That is why each quarter is for four minutes. The players and coaches are in rotation,” explains Vasudevan. In terms of the field dimensions, he adds, “In our time, there were 50-yard and 25-yard line and the defence line. Now, we have dotted lines and a 5-yard-away rule.”
Earlier, aerial balls were a foul but now it is not. “Rules are changing every two years which is not good for the game. What do we teach the youth, the upcoming players? The learning process becomes slow,” he adds. To keep up with the changing rules and for the players to be upskilled, the government plays a key role in equipping the necessities.
From a fellow Tamilian
About the implementations and support from the TN government in the last two years, he says, “The Tamil Nadu government has invested huge sums of money in hockey and has given 80 crores of cash awards. New practice turfs are coming up in Thiruvannamalai, Ariyalur and Madurai.”
Referring to these advancements, Vasudevan says, “The government is opening eyes and is helping in the development of the sport.” He adds that he had to fight (against players from Punjab) to be a part of the playing 11. When he played the Olympics, only one or two were from TN. “I am a proud Tamilian this season because ten in the Olympics and six at the Para Olympics are from Tamil Nadu,” he beams with pride.
“I wish these players end up one among the top ten. That will be a great achievement,” he says. To achieve this he shares, a sleep doctor has accompanied the athletes to monitor their sleep. Vasudevan wishes that the Indian contingent wins medals in double digits as all the players are fit and in good shape.
Past and the present
Sharath Kamal, one of the flag bearers of India, is a native of Chennai. While he waved our national flag at the opening ceremony in Paris, Sharon Ply hosted their 5th edition of the ‘I am Strongest’ awards in the city. Here, Vasudevan along with Muneer Sait (1968, Mexico), Victor John Philips (1972, Munich), Krishnamurthy Perumal (1968, Mexico and 1972, Munich), and Charles Cornelius (1972, Munich) were recognised for their Olympic victories in the past.
Addressing the audience, Vasudevan says, “ Our hockey team is 19th in the world now. There was a time when we were at the top beating China and the US. We are missing the sporting culture now. We are driven far away from the game with digital interventions.” He urges that schools and parents should encourage and motivate their students and children to take sports as a career.
At the 33rd Summer Olympics, 117 athletes — 70 men and 47 women — will be competing in 69 events for 95 medals. India entered the Olympics in 1900 and has won 12 medals — eight gold, one silver, and three bronze — since then in hockey. Cut to 2024, the Indian hockey team won their first match against New Zealand and the players are gearing up for their next with Argentina today.