Aslam Sher Khan, former Indian hockey player
Nagpur: Nearly five decades after he came off the bench to rescue India against hosts Malaysia in the 1975 Hockey World Cup semifinal at Kuala Lumpur, Aslam Sher Khan believes Indian hockey needs an Indian manager alongside foreign coaches for reclaiming Olympic gold or a World Cup.
Khan, whose last-gasp penalty-corner equaliser against Malaysia took India into the 1975 final, said technical expertise alone cannot prepare a team for the mental and emotional demands of major tournaments. The 1975 World Cup winner also stressed the need to strengthen hockey at the grassroots and district levels.
That is missing,” Khan said. An Indian manager will understand the players and ensure that the foreign coaching staff remains aligned with the team’s larger objective, according to Khan. An Indian manager is a must to understand the mindset of our boys,” he said. Khan said the pressure of knockout matches, particularly semifinals, finals and Olympic qualifiers, requires a different kind of preparation. Until that belief comes, you cannot expect an Olympic medal or World Cup victory,” he said. He said the focus should move beyond managing state associations to identifying districts with potential for producing players.
“The foreign coaches are doing technically and strategically better. But who will create the mindset? Who will give players the winning mantra? “The manager should be Indian. The coaches under him can be foreigners. “Mind games are very important in a big match. There is tremendous pressure. The players need somebody to tell them, ‘You can win this tournament’.