New Delhi: You need no introduction with credentials that measure up to an Olympic Games gold, five Champions Trophy triumphs, three Commonwealth Games gold, an FIH World Championship medal and six nominations in the FIH All-Star Team. One of the two brand ambassadors of the much talked about Hockey India League (HIL), Australia captain Jamie Dwyer wears all that and the national pride on his sleeve.
Talking to IBNLive Sports at the sidelines of the launch of HIL here, Dwyer talked at length about his expectations from the League, playing against India and what has pushed Indian hockey back.
How's it been so far in India?
So far, I have had a great couple of days here. It's been good. I'm excited about the League, really excited.
You are here for the launch of HIL and you are one of its brand ambassadors. What's your first impression of the concept?
I think it's going to be great for hockey, in India especially, especially for the juniors. But I think it will be good for hockey all around the world, maybe not the first year but definitely in the second year. I'm happy to be part of something which helps the sport because I love the game so much.
What's one reason that has pushed India back in world hockey?
It's just the self-belief. The way they dribble the ball is unbelievable. Their hand-eye coordination is really world class. I think they just need to believe in themselves that they can beat any team. They are a little bit inconsistent. They just need to play a game style that suits their culture and then just play that style really well, and teams will struggle.
Being the captain of Australia, how do you rate India as an opposition?
When you play an Indian team, they are very confident. It's very hard to win that game. But when they're not confident, it's a walk in the park. So they just need to get their confidence up. They need to have the belief that they can go out their and win games.
What difference do you think Michael Nobbs has made to the team?
Obviously he is trying to get a bit of Australian style into their game, which I think would probably suit them because their skills are very similar to the Australian style. They played well in the qualifiers, the qualifiers for the Olympics. It was great to see them at the Olympic Games; that's for sure. But obviously they were disappointing and inconsistent at the Olympics. It's hard to judge your style after him [Nobbs] only being here for a year. That will be difficult. But I think the interesting thing is that they go to the Champions Trophy this year.
Do you think the Indian players have the fitness to play the Australian style of hockey?
Well, it's right. It's difficult to get fit. You just got to go out there and prepare better physically. I think they are definitely fit enough. They just got to mentally concentrate for the full 70 minutes. Everyone has to do it. It's not just one or two guys running or concentrating. It's the whole game plan. So definitely get fit a little bit more and have self-belief in yourself.
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