Don’t put hockey players under pressure, says Jose Brasa

National hockey coach tells DNA that Arjun Halappa is key to India’s success, expects positive support from the Delhi crowd

How do you look at the team?
The team is better than the one which went for the World Cup. It is fit, and we have a good mix of experienced and young players. We have got more time to train and that will help us in performing well. I feel one or two players could have been in the team. VS Vinay, who is in good form, (could have been there) but then we can have only 16 players.

What’s your prediction?
It is impossible to predict about how we will finish. We have not got practice matches to test our level against the teams participating in the Games. All the teams in the competition are good and it will be a tough fight. We have never won a medal in the CWG, so our aim will be to have a podium finish.

Which is the strongest team?
I feel Australia has been a step or two ahead of everybody. They have good players and have good technological support. Moreover, they will be coming with their full strength squad.

Are you looking at any particular player or a set of players to do it for India?
We have a good mix of young and experienced players. Sarwanjeet Singh and Dharmveer are good from the young batch, while Tushar Kandekar, Shivendra Singh and Rajpal Singh are quite experienced. But I feel Arjun Hallapa will be the most crucial player, he is very good at creating opportunities
with right passes.

What is India’s strength?
I feel our players are good at counter-attacks. They are very fast and utilise their individual skills for the team, when they are at it.

What’s the weakness?
The team’s past is its weakness. The team has not done well in the past, and now the expectations of the people of India can build pressure on the players. I know that people love the game in this country and expect the players to do well. But at the same time, we must understand that they have worked really hard for the championship, so we should allow them to play in a pressure-free environment. If we start scrutinising their performance, they will become weak. All they need is positive support from the followers of the game.

Will we see India play ‘total hockey’?
Total hockey is a concept adopted by many advanced teams. In total hockey, there is nothing like ‘position’. Players are trained to play at different positions. This allows them to play according to the situation and at the same time, they can confuse the opponents by switching roles.

The team has not played any practice match at the venue. Do you think we have lost our home advantage?
We missed playing practice matches, but so have the other teams. We will play our best and hope we get positive support from the crowd.