CHENNAI: At the stroke of the first quarter, India missed their first penalty corner – one of the biggest concerns they have been facing so far. Low conversion rate has been haunting them. The first quarter ended 0-0. That's not the script India were looking for against Chile, considered one of the minnows in the sport, in their first match of the Junior Men's Hockey World Cup here at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Friday.
Then the floodgates opened. The second quarter saw two field goals in quick succession by Rosan Kujur (16th and 20th minutes) followed by another four minutes later by Dilraj Singh, who converted a penalty corner. Finally, the scoreline read 7-0. It reflected India’s dominance and what was expected of the team against Chile.
Ajeet Yadav, Anmol Ekka and captain Rohit were the other scorers. Ajeet scored through a brilliant field effort in the 34th minute while Anmol converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute. The Indian captain scored through a penalty stroke in the 60th minute. Kujur was exceptional and is deservedly awarded the player of the match title.
In front of a good evening crowd that enjoyed a short cultural programme before the start, India played the way they were expected. So many times has the FIH president Tayyab Ikram come to this city for international matches and events that he started his ceremonial speech in Tamil on Friday. No wonder, by the time this World Cup ends, he might even deliver the whole concluding speech in the same language.
Meanwhile, the crowd chanted 'Sreejesh, Sreejesh,' as the match progressed. The man who seems to be in focus even more than the team is PR Sreejesh, the coach of the team. For someone who has spent close to three decades watching from the best possible place the game could afford, knowing the angles, gaps, positions, drifts, drags and flicks, understanding the game and finally, imparting lessons, seems like a natural progression.
The former India goalkeeper did not waste time cooling off after his second Olympic bronze medal. He had seen enough from the goal-line and shifted his attention to the sidelines where the master of orchestra in hockey would position himself as the coach.
On Friday, in his biggest assignment of his nascent career as a coach, he was there watching his wards enact a performance a teacher would be happy with. It took 15 minutes for the team to warm up, but soon all the pieces of the 18-piece ensemble jived in unison. From the defence to the forwards, the transition in between, the players at the Junior World Cup performed like a well-oiled unit. The team arrived in Chennai early and got the feel of the turf and the weather and those vagaries of conditions were laid to rest. On Friday, they were at home. For the coach too Chennai is where he usually thrived in his greatness and it's this place he calls a home.
The blue was shining in the bright flood lights and there was a constant light breeze. Sreejesh was animated but not as he was from the goalline during his playing days. However, he was everywhere close to the Indian dugout. After the match, he talked about India's slow start and said the first match of the tournament has its own challenges. "Starting trouble," he began. "Players are hesitant in the beginning and when they find the rhythm they started to penetrate and score."
From attending his ailing father to leading India
For captain Rohit it was a different story. This is his second junior World Cup and he would want to leave his mark. Considered a drag-flick exponent, he would like to lead by example. His senior and India’s drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh has already noticed him. Rohit is hoping to emulate him. But a few months ago things were not easy. He was fighting another battle.
Training in Bengaluru with his teammates, Haryana's defender Rohit got to know about his father, Udayveer's health issues. A small-time farmer from Dabra village of Hisar, Udayveer experienced angina pain (discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle doesn't receive enough oxygen-rich blood) and was advised stent implantation by attending doctors. "Rohit came back to the village on a few days leave to attend his ailing father," Rajender Sihag, his childhood coach from Dabra village, told this daily.
Rohit was obviously worried especially as he was scheduled to face the biggest test of his life as a player in the form of the home Junior World Cup in a few months time. "I advised him not to worry and focus on his game. Our village's population is around 6500 and we all are like a closely-knit family. I assured him that we will take care of his father. I firmly believe that must have helped him," added the coach.
Rohit is now focussed on the games ahead. With the first assignment over for the coach and his team, India get ready for a more reputed team in Oman on Saturday.
Other Results: Pool A: Germany 4-0 South Africa, Canada 3-4 Ireland; Pool B: Oman 0-4 Switzerland; Pool C: Argentina 4-1 Japan, New Zealand 5-3 China, Pool D: Belgium 12-1 Namibia, Spain 8-0 Egypt.