NEW DELHI: Ace defender Pargat Singh, who led India in the just concluded seventh World Cup Hockey Championship, has said that there were several factors on and off the field which contributed to the team’s debacle
Pargat Singh, pointed out“*the weakness in penalty corner defense and penalty comer attack. The team that did these two things well fared well in the tournament. And we failed in both.
He claimed that one reason for this was that prior to the World Cup “‘we did not play against any European teams. As a result, we did not know the latest tactics and developments in the European hockey. Also there were many youngsters in our side who had no previous experience of playing against the Europeans.”
In an interview to Sports world Pargat Singh has listed many off the field reasons for poor performance and advocated a total change in the system adding “our tournament structure has to be redone.”
According to Pargat Singh, in India “we have about 70 national level tournaments. But what is their standard?
The versatile defender said, I tell you that what we play there is a different hockey. Three of those games is equal to one international match on Astor turf. In our tournaments, most of which are played on grass, a player has all the space and time in the world. He has the opportunity to think, look up and then decide what he wants to do. But in international game, you don’t have the chance to take your time. So when our players having been bred on a certain type of hockey, are thrown into international competition, they find they are not getting the ball.
“So in effect our national competitions don’t serve any purpose well, at least not for the player for the Indian hockey.”
Pargat also complained of lack of proper facilities for the players in the major tournaments saying that hockey officials expect players to perform miracles and then only ask for rewards.
He said “the difference between sportsmen, say in the USA and India, is that there (in the USA) the sportspersons get so many facilities from the very start that they neither think about. (or worries about) other neither things nor do they do anything apart from performing.”
Pargat Singh asserted that by giving these facilities, they inspire the sportsperson (in the USA) to perform, but it is just opposite in India.”
‘Asked about the newly formed Hockey Players Association, of which he is the president, Pargat Singh said the “problem is that the authorities think we are setting up a parallel body, So ‘well at least not for time being.”
He urged the Indian Hockey Federation (THF) to reduce the number of All India tournaments, regulate the stance are of each tournament and upgrade the facilities for the players.
He said the game has vastly changed and it should not be compared with the ‘olden days when India used to win every international tournament.
Pargat Singh stressed the need for proper planning and scheduling of tournaments.
“Let me give you an example about planning. In Lahore, there were efforts being made by Indian officials to get some of these teams to come for the Indira Gandhi Tournament. They (officials) expected at least three teams to come but no team was prepared to come,
‘According to Pargat, the reason for the teams declining the invitation was that it was not in their schedule.
“They cannot suddenly decide to go for a tournament, since it will mean a break in their schedule.
“Even team like Canada turned down the invitation saying that they only play three international tournaments a year.”
‘Asked if the coach can be blamed for the team’s poor performance, Pargat Singh said, ‘‘no basically it is the fault of the system. He has to run for the visas, the kit and all the other needs of the team.
Asked if a foreign coach will help improve the standards Pargat Singh said “‘unless the system is changed, not even the foreign coach can do anything. Increase the players facilities, improve the tournament structure, then get a foreign coach, who has played on Astor turf only then will you get some benefit. “The foreign coach will have to do what he desires and as he chooses.”
Pargat said India is not represented well in the International Hockey Federation (FIH). “If we had four or five administrators involved in FIH affairs, only then will others be scared of us.”
Pargat said if India had the necessary influence in the FIH “we can have more top grade umpires and then others will think twice before doing any hanky panky.”
“Because others will know that we too can retaliate through our umpires. And if you don’t have any influence in FIH they will do whatever suits them. They are even doing it. There is no doubt about them.”
Asked to elaborate, Pargat said “you saw the Holland-Australia game in the tournament and the India-Argentina match, There was a vast difference in the umpiring. When they use their body, they are not even given a warning. Yet when our players indulge in bit of body play, they are given a warning and the opposition is awarded a penalty comer.
“This is because we have no influence in FI.” It is a management problem. It’s bad management and that’s the major problem,” he concluded.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 30, 1990
