Olympic simulation to keep hockey team battle ready

The international hockey federation has suspended the FIH Pro League— the main preparatory competition ahead of the Tokyo Olympics—till at least May 17. The Indian men’s team, which anyway did not have international matches scheduled till April 25—when they were supposed to play Germany, followed by another fixture against Great Britain on May 2—is now looking at spending all of that time stuck inside the premises of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru.

Will they get a chance to play a competitive match before the Olympics? Probably not.

With that in mind, the team’s management has worked out a plan to keep players battle ready for Tokyo 2020, slated to begin on July 24. One aspect of that plan involves “mimicking the Olympic Games format…eight games in 13 days with probably three or four different combinations of teams playing on a home and away format”.

The Indian team can afford to do so, because all 32 players in the national set up were already into the third week of a four-week training camp when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

“What I am trying to impress on the boys is that the level of these games needs to be at the same level as we play in international games,” India’s chief coach Graham Reid. “It’s a good thing that we have had those six internationals (two matches each against Netherlands, Belgium and Australia in Pro League), those are quite fresh in their minds and we are doing a lot of analysis of how we played and what we want to do differently. So things like one of the teams we may get them to play like Germany, or get them to play like some other team.”

Usually, when the national camp is on, a training match is held every Saturday.

“We have quite a powerful tool with us in that we have 32 people here meaning we can play internal games at whatever levels we decide,” Reid said. “That could be very helpful as there could be a situation that we may not get too much competition. We will make sure that (the internal matches) are played at the highest possible tempo so that when it comes to the Olympic Games, we will be used to playing at that level.

“We have also moved them to playing in the heat so that we are ready for the conditions (which are expected to be hot),” Reid added.

The 55-year-old former Australia player and coach said the Indian team is able to cope better than many other teams; he is in regular touch with Dutch national coach Max Clades, and got to know from him that most Dutch players are in isolation or in quarantine.

The team management is also taking special care to ensure players have enough activities to keep them engaged, now that they are not allowed to leave the SAI campus.

“We actually have lot of facilities here,” Reid said. “There is a swimming pool, there’s a golf course, volleyball courts…on Sunday the boys played volleyball. We will be starting English speaking lessons again.”

Reid said his players are used to staying away from their families for long periods.

“At the end of the day, it isn’t necessarily much different from what normally happens. Of course they are normally allowed out into Bangalore when they wish to go and that has changed now.”