Boom (Belgium): Indian coach Joaquim Carvalho knows the importance of the opening match against New Zealand. After quietly watching the team train through incessant rain at the hockey stadium in Boom, he also had a quiet session with penalty corner converter Sandeep Singh back at the hotel.
On his way back to the hotel, Carvalho was honest enough to admit that "a great start in the tournament against New Zealand would put us on the road to the final."
Over the years, it has been a losing start in most of the main line tournaments for India. And with mental toughness not their strength, the team would invariably roll over and die.
After losing to Germany 2-3 in the dying minutes of the match, India finished 11th in the 2006 World Cup; the examples are many.
All the three coaches, Joaquim Carvalho, former Indian captain Mohinder Pal Singh and Ramesh Parmeshwaran are hugely confident of the team.
"Even in Germany during the camp and the few matches that we played against club sides, the team had resolved not to lose," says Ramesh. "They have stopped playing loose hockey."
Carvalho puts a slight twist to Ramesh’s interpretation.
"I need players who have the skill and the speed. No stragglers can last in today’s hockey. You have these qualities; you have a place in the team."
The Indian coach is particularly happy about the progress that Sandeep Singh has made.
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"I don’t want to single out any player as special. If the forwards don’t make penalty corners, what will Sandeep do? Plus he also has other responsibilities in the field. But having said that, he is a huge asset and one of the trump cards for us."
It’s a fact echoed by former captain and India’s deep defender Dilip Tirkey. "Sandeep is in good form and we will use that to our advantage."
The Kiwis are not pushovers. And have never been that. On a good day, they have the resources to throw the form book in our face. Helping them would be Bevan Hari, Paul Woolford (goalkeeper), Philip Burrows, Hayden Shaw, their captain Ryan Archibald and Blair Hopping. Between them these guys have played an amazing 847 international matches.
Carvalho is more into performance on the field.
"I don’t have time for what you have done previously. You need to perform today. That’s what matters."
Joaquim Carvalho, a member of the 1984 Olympics team, would hope along with hockey fans that the Indians roar into form and walk away with three points in their lung opener against the Kiwis.
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