With the threat of losing out on a World Cup berth for the first-time ever, the national hockey campers began preparations for the Asia Cup in earnest, at the SAI, South Centre here on Tuesday. The continental event will be held from August 24 to September 1 at Ipoh, Malaysia.
With Hockey India’s high performance director Roelant Oltmans at the helm as the interim chief coach, there seems to be a fresh spark among the boys.
Following the sacking of Michael Nobbs, Oltmans has a daunting task on hand, preparing the team mentally and physically.
The ‘foreign coach’ tag comes with sky-high expectations of instant success, but the Dutchman is neither feeling the pressure nor is seeking short cuts for short-lived success.
“These six weeks are going to be very important, we will work without distractions. It is a long time since the Indian men’s team won a tournament. So our focus is to have the best possible performance at the Asia Cup,” Oltmans said.
“The group is big right now, in about two weeks we will reduce it and give that team the last four weeks to prepare.”
The squad are keen to put the past behind them and start afresh, and Oltmans is more than happy to guide them.
“Everybody starts from scratch. It’s up to them to convince us. We will make a few changes and play a little different than we have done before. Skill wise, we have to do a number of things. The atmosphere is good and the boys are hungry and eager. They have to improve and that’s clear,” said Oltmans.
The 59-year-old said the target for the team is to win the Asia Cup with the focus on the World Cup to come subsequently. “I’ve made one thing clear — we’re going there to win the Asia Cup. We’re not even talking about the World Cup, which is next year. It is of no interest at the moment.”