Indian Hockey: Mission accomplished
NEW DELHI: Call it a redemption, or less a relief. After all the discontent, all the disarray, all the mediocrity, suddenly all is well again in the world of Indian hockey.
Sure their 8-1 win over France in the final of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers on Sunday, enabled their retention of Olympic stature.
India missed qualifying for the Beijing Games in 2008 after losing to Great Britain.
Not that they banished the spurious ghosts of Santiago ' anyhow there was hardly any lurking in the emotionally surcharged Major Dhyan Chand Stadium ' but it averted what could have easily evolved into a malaise, a habit of gradually slipping from the Olympic bracket. India could not have but won this tournament, proud as they are.
More significantly, the manner in which they accomplished this coup ' one could argue the meekness of competitors ' ushers in optimism.
The Michael-Nobbs coached side has been as clinical as feisty, as sumptuous as efficient, as ruthless as graceful.
There were stars and there were individuals, but they combined to conjure an effort so blinding that such triumphalism of the self hardly mattered.
On as a night as this, the French could have done little. France's defensive strategy was justifiable given India's penchant to harass their opponent with early goals. They succeeded to an extent in grid-locking the Indian frontline, defending ruggedly and marking agilely.
But the flipside to such an overtly-defensive mentality is that the defence has no cushion to err, especially against a pacy opponent.
So it unfurled, and it took an unassuming centre-half to find the decisive touch that altered the game's complexion.
Birendra Lakra, unusually among the raiders, unleashed a scorching reverse flick to the back of the far corner in the 17th minute.
The design was as spectacular, with Sardar powering the ball from centre line to Manpreet Singh outside the box, and Manpreet directed the ball to Lakra.
Thus was busted the deadlock. France opened up even as the Indian frontline regained their searing tempo, breaking in with a newfound freedom.
Then prevailed their old-school nous, something experience brings to you. Shivendra Singh, one of the elders of this youth-centric side, furiously sought referral for a penalty corner and the field umpire's original decision was duly over-turned.
Sandeep Singh slotted in the first of his five goals. Later, the third umpire reversed France's penalty corner, when the score was still 2-0.
They eventually scored (Simon Brisac), optimising their numerical advantage subsequent to green-carded Manpreet Singh's and Saravajit Singh's exit.
But Sandeep bolted the game for India with strikes of such ferocity that the French goalkeeper's first line of thought might have been to defend himself from danger.
What ensued was just an embellishment to the main-act, as the French, already a dead-horse was flogged.
SV Sunil and VR Raghunath added to the tally, but those would be mere footnotes in the larger script of Sandeep heroics.
Now that they are guaranteed of an Olympic berth, the real road to redemption can start.
NEW DELHI: Call it a redemption, or less a relief. After all the discontent, all the disarray, all the mediocrity, suddenly all is well again in the world of Indian hockey.
Sure their 8-1 win over France in the final of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers on Sunday, enabled their retention of Olympic stature.
India missed qualifying for the Beijing Games in 2008 after losing to Great Britain.
Not that they banished the spurious ghosts of Santiago ' anyhow there was hardly any lurking in the emotionally surcharged Major Dhyan Chand Stadium ' but it averted what could have easily evolved into a malaise, a habit of gradually slipping from the Olympic bracket. India could not have but won this tournament, proud as they are.
More significantly, the manner in which they accomplished this coup ' one could argue the meekness of competitors ' ushers in optimism.
The Michael-Nobbs coached side has been as clinical as feisty, as sumptuous as efficient, as ruthless as graceful.
There were stars and there were individuals, but they combined to conjure an effort so blinding that such triumphalism of the self hardly mattered.
On as a night as this, the French could have done little. France's defensive strategy was justifiable given India's penchant to harass their opponent with early goals. They succeeded to an extent in grid-locking the Indian frontline, defending ruggedly and marking agilely.
But the flipside to such an overtly-defensive mentality is that the defence has no cushion to err, especially against a pacy opponent.
So it unfurled, and it took an unassuming centre-half to find the decisive touch that altered the game's complexion.
Birendra Lakra, unusually among the raiders, unleashed a scorching reverse flick to the back of the far corner in the 17th minute.
The design was as spectacular, with Sardar powering the ball from centre line to Manpreet Singh outside the box, and Manpreet directed the ball to Lakra.
Thus was busted the deadlock. France opened up even as the Indian frontline regained their searing tempo, breaking in with a newfound freedom.
Then prevailed their old-school nous, something experience brings to you. Shivendra Singh, one of the elders of this youth-centric side, furiously sought referral for a penalty corner and the field umpire's original decision was duly over-turned.
Sandeep Singh slotted in the first of his five goals. Later, the third umpire reversed France's penalty corner, when the score was still 2-0.
They eventually scored (Simon Brisac), optimising their numerical advantage subsequent to green-carded Manpreet Singh's and Saravajit Singh's exit.
But Sandeep bolted the game for India with strikes of such ferocity that the French goalkeeper's first line of thought might have been to defend himself from danger.
What ensued was just an embellishment to the main-act, as the French, already a dead-horse was flogged.
SV Sunil and VR Raghunath added to the tally, but those would be mere footnotes in the larger script of Sandeep heroics.
Now that they are guaranteed of an Olympic berth, the real road to redemption can start.
News Posted: 27 February, 2012
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