Mumbai, Dec 2 Former captain Viren Rasquinha is delighted to see the transformation in the country's hockey for the better with retired players joining the coaching setup to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation.
The 44-year-old also opened up on the reasons behind the interest among former players in coaching roles. Many former Indian hockey players have now taken up the responsibility to train the young and future generation towards glory, after dedicating years to the sport as players. Mercurial India striker and now assistant coach Shivendra Singh is currently with the Indian men’s hockey team, the recently retired PR Sreejesh has already been appointed as the coach of the junior Indian men’s hockey team.
With the return of the Hockey India League set to embark in December, former Indian captains Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal will also be coaching the Soorma Hockey Club in the tournament. As per Rasquina, this is the best way to give back to the sport and country.
“I think as former players, the best way we can give back to the country is not pushing files in some offices. It is actually going back to the field and sharing our wealth of knowledge and experience with young upcoming athletes to ensure that the mistakes that were made during our playing careers are not being repeated by the next generation. I am really happy to see that we need more and more opportunities because honestly in every sport, we need a thousand good quality coaches at the grassroots level to teach our talented young brigade,” he said on the 'House of Glory' podcast launched by Indian shooting legend Gagan Narang.
The Olympian also discussed the need to upgrade the Indian coaching sector by including sports sciences, so that India is not left behind in international competitions. Rasquinha further said that India could increase their medal tally at the Olympics with the involvement of technology in coaching efforts.
“I think coaching is the single most important criterion for me to help India win more Olympic medals because we have to understand modern training methods, modern technology and modern science in sport and embrace that quickly. If we do not do that India as a nation will be left behind. On the physical parameters, we have bridged the gap. We are still bridging the gap on the mental side and the pressure-handling situations,” the former India skipper said.
He also addressed how the way sports and tournaments like the Olympics are viewed by the audience has also changed significantly and fans expect the athletes to return with medals and not just participate.
“I think the biggest change I see is the mindset change. When we played, I don't think there was a belief in the Indian men's hockey team that we could beat Australia and win an Olympic medal. We were happy to run them close. Today if the Indian hockey team comes back without a medal, there's genuine disappointment because we know we are capable of doing that,” Rasquinha said.
“There’s belief in everyone, including in the young kids coming from a small town or a village that they are not just going to participate (at the Olympics), but to win an Olympic medal,” he signed off.
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