CHENNAI: Former India player, coach and current member of the national selection committee Mohammed Riaz is confident of a good show by India in the FIH Junior Men's hockey World Cup to be played in Tamil Nadu from November 28.
"We have a good team that covers all the bases and I am sure that the team will do well at the junior world cup. The boys had a camp and now they are having practice matches at SDAT-MRC Stadium, so the preparations are going smoothly and if they play to their potential no one can stop them," Riaz told this daily.
"You see the team (junior) is playing for the past six to eight months. So the coordination, all those things are good. So when the players are playing for a long time together the combination is bound to be good,'' he added.
The other day India lost to Argentina in a practice game. "You see in a practice game we try to have a look at certain combinations. We will not field our full fledged team and reveal our strength to the opposition. So from what I have seen, everything is going on well," he explained.
India will be captained by Rohit, a powerful drag flicker who hails from Haryana, and this will be his second and last stint with the national junior team. Rohit has been with the junior team since 2022, winning gold medals in the Asia Cup in 2023 and 2024 and the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2022. Some were surprised that Rohit was chosen as captain ahead of quite a few seniors.
"The decision to name Rohit as captain was unanimous. There was no difference of opinion among selectors on the choice of Rohit as captain. We also had a discussion with the coach (PR Sreejesh). So Rohit is the right choice," revealed Riaz.
So what was the special trait in Rohit that the selectors saw and deemed it fit to appoint him captain. "Rohit is cool and calm on the pitch. He covers all aspects while looking at a game and controls the players well. So all these things give him credibility for the job," explained Riaz.
Princedeep Singh and Bikramjit Singh are the two goalkeepers in the squad. India last won the tournament nine years ago, in Lucknow, and finished a disappointing fourth in 2021 and 2023. The Junior World Cup this time will be tough with Australia, seven-time champions Germany and the Netherlands among key contenders for the crown. Both Princedeep and Bikramjit have been learning a lot from Sreejesh, who was ace goalkeeper in his playing days.
"We have taken the best two goalkeepers in the squad. Both Prince and Bikramjit are good. They can be rotated as well depending upon the situation. The coach will take a call," said Riaz.
Speaking of rotation of the players, Riaz said, "For all these things, you have to read the rival teams and their players as well. It has to be done after completely reading the game and looking at the rival players. It depends on the time also as the first quarter and the last quarter are very important. Again the coach will have to take the right call at the right time."
Riaz reposed complete faith on Sreejesh as the coach of the team. "Sreejesh will do a good job. Goalkeeper is the last defender of the team. So, he has a full view of the team, who is playing where, how and all. Since Sreejesh has played for a long time for the national team, he really has a good knowledge of the game."
"Sreejesh's strength is mostly on the defending side. Generally, forwards win matches , defenders win the championship. So, he is keen on defence. If the attackers miss the chances, it can be compensated but the defence has to be tight all the time. So he (Sreejesh) will be keen on defence," added the Olympian.
Riaz said India need to convert half chances to go deep in the tournament. "You see, in the pool matches, I don't think we have any issues. After reaching the quarterfinal, semifinal and final, you have to convert half chances in such big tournaments. That is what helps you win crucial matches and in turn have a crack at the crown," signed off Riaz.
