India Hockey coach Graham Reid: Versatility, Tokyo heat were considered before team selection
Reid praised the mentality of the Indian hockey players
Almost a week ago, when the Indian men's hockey team for Tokyo 2020 was announced, it raised a few eyebrows as 10 of the 16-member squad would be making their Olympic debuts.
While PR Sreejesh, Manpreet Singh, and Birendra Lakra, who missed out on Rio Olympics with a knee injury, were included in the squad, veterans like SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh were left out.
"Heat and humidity were factors behind team selection. Flexibility was also taken into account," coach Graham Reid stated during a media interaction facilitated by the Hockey India.
"Then 16 players restrict your ability to accommodate more, we are used to playing with 18. If someone gets injured then we need someone versatile to play in both midfield and defense. Those were the things that played a factor.
"Modern hockey is also off the ball and not only when you have the ball. So often when we see a player is great on the ball and not necessarily off the ball. Things like team mentality are also important. They are team players who have been selected. A lot of them have played junior World Cups. They have progressed very well in the last 24 months. Australia has nine debutantes. Four or five years is a long time."
Reid has picked only one goalkeeper in Sreejesh and that meant promising keeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak was omitted. However, for any contingency, the coach has been preparing a few other players as well as a goalkeeper if any untoward incident happens to Sreejesh.
"We will be taking separate goalkeeping pads for players who can substitute if Sreejesh is injured. We are preparing a couple of players for that for the past couple of weeks. We have decided on the reserves but not going to reveal them right now," he commented.
Fourth-ranked India will begin their Olympic campaign against New Zealand on July 24. India are in Pool A along with Olympic champions Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and hosts Japan.
"What we've been talking to the players a lot about is that if you look at the 12 teams that are going to the Olympics. In the last two years we've played and beaten all 12 except for Canada we haven't had a chance to play Canada," he said.
"I think that's a really important point to note. If we play well, if we do our things and we are definitely aiming to jump onto that podium. "You have to take time, one game at a time when we're trying to get through to the quarterfinals...To be in that final game at the end of the tournament is what everyone's trying to do. That's no different to us."
The Australian opined that in modern hockey both mentality and the skill set are equally important and both are complementary to each other.
"The biggest thing that a coach feels is that we have not done enough. He always wants to do more. But in the last 15 months, I have got to know my players very well, the mentality of the group, and their stories in a 10-minute one-on-one video which is very powerful. We have to understand that they were in a bio bubble and when the chips are down in Tokyo this tough mentality will help them get through.
"Modern sport these days is very much in the mental sphere. It is important to understand their journeys. Indians do not understand how mentally agile they are. But the skills aspect is also important. I don't know where to draw a line as both are important."
India have not played many competitive games in the run-up to the Olympics but remained undefeated in their European trip to Germany and Belgium, and defeated Argentina in Argentina during the FIH Pro League. Reid feels that those wins would provide much-needed confidence to the players in Tokyo.
"We have had two very good tours which came at a period after we trained well. Playing internal games and playing close to the intensity of the world cup level is very important. After every training match, we measured the intensity of the training sessions. In 2019 we could not play many international games and yet we beat Australia, Belgium in Pro League. This definitely boosts the morale and confidence of the team."
The men in blue have been working a lot on their penalty shootouts and the tactician believes India will have the upper hand in Tokyo if it goes down to the wire.
"We are confidently working on shootouts. One of the problems is that we get used to each other. In the next three weeks, we look to involve our junior guys to involve different perspectives. It is part of the modern game. It is nice to have people who can take them very well and a keeper who can save them."
The Indian hockey team is being considered as a medal hopeful in the upcoming Olympics but Reid feels no pressure going into the tournament.
"Pressure is something that you bring upon yourself. A sports psychologist once told me to change the channels. You prepare for the possible outcomes and get back in the zone of what you need to do and what you can control. Control the controllable. Just focus on what you do well, like coaching the team. The mentality is a powerful tool in your armoury that can help you achieve great results."
Manpreet Singh, skipper of the team accompanied his coach and he also sounded upbeat about India's chances in the Olympics.
"It's a great honour to lead my country. We have Olympic experience and we are really gelling well together. We were in a good form before the lockdown. Then due to lockdown we were staying in Bengaluru and continue to do so. We took the lockdown positively and worked on our weaknesses. We have beaten Germany, Great Britain, and Argentina and we were worked hard so that our preparations are on point before the Olympics," he stated.