Harendra Singh ready to take risks, enjoy pressure and get team to World No. 1

Harendra Singh wants gold in every tourney he enters. In this chat with Rutvick Mehta after taking over as coach of India men’s side, he talks about changing mindset of players and goal of taking team atop rankings leading up to 2020 Olympics.

You've had a short camp with the boys. How was it?

I've enjoyed the short time so far, and so have the boys. We have worked on a few areas, and I've discussed some things with the players and the coaching staff. We sat and made a blueprint on what kind of hockey we want to play, how we are going to go about our defending and attacking structure, what are the liberties that each and every player will have. I'm not saying I'm going to restrict the liberty of the players, but it has to be within that set structure.

You had a successful seven months with the women's team, and the players were comfortable playing under you. How difficult was it to say goodbye to the girls?

Whenever a daughter leaves her house, a father is bound to feel the pain. This is a fact of life. Even I felt the pain. Even I was sad. But we are all mature, we are all professionals and we know that change is inevitable.

The first two days I found it a bit tough to accept that change. But now, we all are happy.

I'm very happy with their success, and that is showing in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy, where they are playing fantastic hockey and getting good results. That shows that they have moved on. At the end of the day, you have to perform on the field, no matter what happens on the outside. These girls have shown the maturity to do that. I'm very proud of that fact. Whatever short stint I had with them, I only had good memories, ones that I will cherish for my entire life.

We will meet somewhere, sometime. We're not getting away from hockey, are we? There's a 'wo' before 'men'. So, it's only a small change.

You've come back to take charge of the men's team as the first Indian coach since 2008, and a lot of experts have insisted upon having an Indian coach for a long time now. Does that add extra responsibility on your shoulders?

Look, even if I am coaching a national U-14 or U-16 team, there is responsibility. At the end of the day, you're coaching an Indian team, no matter at what level. Yes, you can say the area of responsibility increases, because everyone is only focussed on the senior national team. So yes, you're under scrutiny every time. But I'm not new to this job. I have a lot of experience behind me in different capacities.

Moreover, I'm very happy that the coaching staff I have at my disposal is highly professional. For me, it's a privilege to join the team and coach the Indian team. So, I'm happy I am given the responsibility, and I'm always ready. Now everything depends on me, how I take this responsibility and take the team forward, because 2018 is a big year for Indian hockey.

It's indeed a big year, and you're a coach who always talks about winning every tournament that your team enters in. Now, you'll have to deliver almost immediately with a gold at the Asian Games in August, isn't it?

I think this team has the world's best goalkeeper and some of the world's top midfielders and forward. So, there's no lack of quality in this team. Now, we just have to clear our heads. I always talk about the world 'success', but the key is how we go about achieving that success. That responsibility lies with every individual player and coaching staff in the set-up. Even the person who is serving food to the players has a responsibility, that the players eat well and eat healthy.

We've defined the set of goals very clearly. Every day that you step on to the field, you should be clear as to for what we're stepping for. We know that getting the gold in Jakarta is paramount for us for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And for that, we've already made a blueprint for players as well as coaches. I believe in setting targets, because without targets you don't know where you're heading. That is the clarity of thought I want the players to have.

But that clarity of thought somehow goes away in big tournaments, where the boys have often crumbled in crucial matches over the last few years. How will you change that mindset?

I'm fortunate to have an analytical coach in Chris Ciriello (Australian dragflick specialist), who has won gold in all big tournaments. I've discussed with him as to how we can make this team formidable in any tournament they play. And that process has started in training itself.

People say, 'practice makes perfect'. I say, 'practice makes winner'. I want winners, not perfection. If you do not train as a winner and a medallist, how can you suddenly be that in a tournament?

So, we're training every session like how we would play a big tournament match. Every session has an objective. If anyone makes a mistake, he has to undergo a light punishment. For example, for one false shot, 20 push ups. And not just him alone, the entire team. Because an individual failure is a team failure. So, that's how I want the boys to train, and that is how they can replicate that into a tournament.

Hockey India high performance director David John has said the objective is to become the No. 1 team in the world leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Do you believe this team can become the best in the world soon?

Today, Indian hockey stands on a very thin line. That thin line defines a podium and non-podium finish, between winners and losers. We're at the other end of the line only because we're missing goals inside the circle, doing stupid things in our own half and conceding goals. Players might think these are small mistakes and it's no big deal, but it is these little things only affect overall performance of the team. I've conveyed this message to the boys through a video clip of such instances. We have warned the players that such mistakes will not be accepted. As a team, we've made a chart of avoidables and unavoidables. That's the framework we've given to the boys.

From 2018 to 2020 Tokyo Olympics, we should be very clear: we want to be the No. 1 team in the world. Not No. 1 for one tournament and then come back to No. 3 or 4 again. Over the last three years, we have been No. 6. Now, the time has come to break that thin line and come into the top four, and then top two and No. 1.

Is this, thus, the biggest challenge of your successful coaching career so far?

I always take every job as a challenge, whether it's with Air India or Team India. Coaching is my first love, my passion. Whenever anybody puts a coaching challenge in front of me, I enjoy it. So even this time, I'm enjoying the challenge. I know the expectations of the country and of the management, and now is the right time for me to deliver for India hockey.

And you'll have to deliver in an environment that hires and fires coaches in a jiffy. Does that add to the pressure on you?

A person who doesn't enjoy pressure will never succeed in life. There are two things behind a successful coach: 1. Enjoying pressure; 2. Taking risks. If a coach doesn't know how to take risks, and if he doesn't enjoy pressure, he cannot deliver results. Then, he will become mediocre. He will be No. 6 in the world, and remain at No. 6 for four years. But Harendra Singh will take risks, enjoy pressure, and get the team to No. 1.

NO MOBILE PHONES DURING MEALS, ELSE PAY RS 500

One of the first rules Harendra Singh set for the Indian men's team after taking over as coach is ban of the use of mobile phones during meals, non-compliance of which would attract a fine of Rs 500. "I've set a rule for everyone in the team, that mobiles should not be allowed on dining tables, be it if we're eating at a restaurant or at the mess (in the national camp). If they break the rule, they have to pay a fine of Rs 500. If they want to play good hockey, they need proper protein and carbohydrates. And if they're hooked to their phones, they won't get any of that," Singh said.

'ALL 48 PLAYERS AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION, NOT JUST 24'

Harendra Singh said that all the 48 players in the core group will remain in contention for selection in the national team. Previous coach Sjoerd Marijne, who was sacked, had decided to prune the core group to 24 post the Commonwealth Games, but Singh said he will oversee all the 48 players in the national camp. "All 48 players will be part of the core probables. All the 48 will be available for selection all the time. We have a very large and highly talented pool at the moment, so it's not right to break them down into 24 and 24. For me, all the 48 will be available for national selection, and all 48 will train together with the same objectives," Harendra said.