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Joaquim Carvalho, popularly called "Jack" by his friends, was part of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic squad and considered one of the strongest ever to leave the Indian shores. As Chak De spirit sweeps India and the team prepares for the Beijing Olympics next year, the head coach of Indian hockey speaks to TWF Correspondent B Arindham in an exclusive interview
What changes you brought about in the team that retained the Asia Cup?
The changes I made were simple and straightforward. I asked the players to run hard, retackle, be aggressive in attack and solid in defence. The stress was also on discipline, teamwork and honesty…it was about giving 100 per cent. Another thing we did was making the video analysis programme more planned and fruitful….we scouted for the opposition's strengths and weaknesses and planned accordingly.
How is the team shaping for Beijing Olympics?
Presently the team is in Germany . After they return we will have a month-long camp from the first week of November where we will concentrate on the skill, fitness and strength part. The mental aspect of the game would also be looked into. We cannot take Great Britain lightly especially after the influx of a few players from Scotland and Ireland into their ranks. I am very optimistic. I never give up.
Who are the players you look forward to for delivering the goods?
All the players are important for me. I am concentrating more on the team than on any individual. So it would be unfair to single out anybody. We have a very talented bunch of youngsters and some very committed seniors. It's a well balanced side.
What was the inside story behind Sandip Singh being dropped? There are polls for Sandip Singh….
People who conduct these polls are not aware of the facts. I am not going to compromise with discipline and commitment…stardom and past laurels means nothing to me…no individual is more important than a team. He is supposed to be a penalty corner specialist and for that one needs to practise day in day out. He was missing practice in camps and that is not acceptable. I dropped Raghunath in spite of him being a drag-flick specialist. This is because he was not performing. So there is no bias…performance is the only mantra.
How would Ric Charlesworth's inclusion help you?
Ric is a legend in his own right. He is one of the most experienced coaches. But here his job is off the ground. He is the technical director. He gives suggestions and the ones we deem fit will be taken. There will be no interference in day to day coaching.
What is your definition of modern hockey?
Modern hockey is all about playing according to the necessity of the match. The top notch teams like Australia or The Netherlands do not play fancy hockey. They play effective hockey. We need to use the substitutions to the core, play hard effective hockey and translate the individual skills into group skills.
Has Premier Hockey League helped Indian Hockey?
It has surely built the hype. The media coverage has brought in money. The visibility factor is a big thing. It creates support base…the inclusion of the foreign players gives a chance to the junior players to rub shoulders with the biggies. Youngsters come to know that there isn't money only in cricket when they see a player like Dilip Tirkey make Rs five to six lakh from one tournament.
How would you describe the protest after the Twety20 victory celebrations?
First I would like to clear one thing. I have nothing against cricket. In fact I watched the final myself and was supporting Dhoni and company…was biting my nails. I celebrated too. Most of the cricketers are my friends. But what I found very odd was that the state governments were vying with one another to reward the players but not a word of congratulations came for my boys who are the champions of Asia in a very high voltage and tough tournament. It was as if cricket was the only sport and all other sports were pushovers. I was protesting this apathy from the administration. This protest was a precedent set for the later generations.
What are two things that you would like to change if made the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) boss?
I would like to make the administration more professional and strengthen the domestic structure. The second thing I would like to do is build on the infrastructure for the game in the country and creates awareness.
Has "Chak De India " created a renewed love for the game?
The film was well made and has certainly raised a few eyebrows with the amount of media coverage it got. For the boys it's still a lot of hard work and a commitment to continue winning. The best thing that Chak de has done is that it has given an idiom for winning in the name "Chak de".
How would you like to be remembered as a coach?
I will be satisfied if the boys give 100 per cent in every game. The results don't worry me. Having said that I would like to keep my winning ways uninterrupted (Laughs).
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