India: 'Tactics don't work if team can't perform' 
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| India |
October 18, 2003 
The Indian Express
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Rajinder Singh talks to Manish Kumar on strategy, drag-flicks and that spat with Dhanraj Pillay. And why he can afford to smile
Svengali Supreme, Master Strategist or just plain Mr Lucky? There are many ways to describe Rajinder Singh, chief coach of India’s hockey team and the wide swathe they involve indicates that, for all the players’ considerable public successes, the man who picks them remains an enigma.
A former player, apparently untutored in the modern game and with negligible coaching background, is the strategist behind the Indian hockey revival. Is he really the man pulling the strings or just someone in the right place at the right time? Tough to say, but luck alone cannot explain away victories in three tournaments out of five they have played this year.
For all his avowed dismissal of tactics — ‘‘The players have to play well first, what can tactics do alone?’’, is his standard response — it’s pertinent to note that under his predecessor, the rather more cerebral Cedric D’Souza, India finished 10th at the World Cup. And whatever else one feels about him, one has to account for the fact that Rajinder has spent much of his time as coach reading headlines predicting his imminent ouster.
His players praise his man-management, coaching ability and the uncomplicated style of play he favours. What Rajinder needs now is that Big Win — the Olympics — so he can walk up to KPS Gill and ask for a long-term contract for himself and a professional setup for the team.
When The Sunday Express caught up with him one afternoon at Delhi’s National Stadium, Rajinder was obviously in command — and, because of that, more relaxed and affable. Excerpts from the interview:
Your team broke one more jinx with the Asia Cup victory. Where do you see Indian hockey going from here?
Undoubtedly, the win has turned out to be a morale-booster for the team and their fans, especially after the dismal showing in the Champions Trophy before that. But we are now looking afresh at the main task before the team — qualifying for the 2004 Olympics. We cannot take it for granted because even world champions Holland will be playing the qualifying tournament along with us and other strong teams.
My aim is to find at least two players for every position in the team till the qualifiers. The unexpected injury to Jugraj Singh has made us aware that we have to be ready to handle such situations because injuries can happen on the field as well.
Your tactics — or, as some critics point out, the lack of them — were held responsible for India’s lacklustre show in the Champions Trophy. For example, India were the only team not using rolling substitutions till the Asia Cup...
Look, for the Champions Trophy, our players didn’t play upto the mark but it was mainly because they had fitness problems. Seven players fell ill at the Lucknow camp and couldn’t recover properly at the tournament. And if the players don’t perform, no strategy can help them win.
As for using rolling substitutions, my bench didn’t have experience and in a major tournament I wanted to utilise as much as possible those players who had international exposure. But if I took advantage of the rolling substitution rule at the Asia Cup, it was because we were playing Asian teams. Not all the youngsters in the team are familiar to the European style at this level. Like the European teams, we are now trying to adopt set-piece formations in our game but it will take some time to get results.
Man-management is said to be your strongest point as a coach, so what explains the spat with Dhanraj Pillay immediately after the Asia Cup victory? The differences between both of you had been simmering for quite some time but then became public.
Pillay is a good player but he has a tendency to lose his temper. It is important for the team that a player of such calibre learns to control his temper. I have to carry all the 17 players with me and not just one.
Your man-management again showed up poorly when you accused your players of being jealous of each other due to endorsement deals and that affected their performance in the Champions Trophy. But none of the hockey players have got any deal so far. What was the need to take the problems within the team to the media?
I believe my team was very disturbed because of two or three players. I have no problem about any player in my team signing endorsement deals but there should be a method, they should take permission from the IHF. I felt that the issue was affecting everyone at the tournament since many players were left out. I didn’t want any distraction for my players, they should have concentrated on building up their reputation after two title wins.
The injury to Jugraj Singh has exposed Indian hockey’s weakness in drag-flicks. Today, a drag-flick expert is mandatory for the success of every team. Have you taken up the issue of a dearth of talent in the country today with the IHF?
There is a crisis of quality drag-flickers in the country but we are now trying to work on two players — Len Ayyappa and Kanwalpreet Singh. Kanwalpreet is normally used as a hitter for penalty-corners but now we are training him for the drag-push.
There is plenty of talent in the country for other positions too but what I am concerned about is the fast disappearance of players after the junior level itself. We are losing some very talented players whose sole aim is to play for the India Junior team and that guarantees them jobs with PSUs today.
I feel that those companies giving jobs to talented hockey players should ensure that the players will represent their department teams at the national level for at least a period of seven to 10 years.
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