Bhubaneswar: With the moment of reckoning drawing near, Sjoerd Marijne, the coach of the Indian men’s hockey team appeared upbeat about the chances of the host nation in the upcoming Hockey World League Finals (HWLF) set to start here December 1. India will face defending champions Australia on the inaugural day.
Marjine told reporters here after a 45-minute training session that the hosts are not under any pressure and are looking ahead to the challenges. World No.6 India certainly do not start as favourites in an event that has the top-ranked teams playing.
“The mood in the dressing room is good and positive. The players are relaxed and enjoying the limelight. We are raring to go and perform in front of the packed Kalinga Stadium,” Marijne said, Wednesday.
Unlike other days, when the Dutchman was frequently spotted shouting to the players to pinpoint their errors, Marijne appeared relaxed as the players went through their drills. The Indians indulged in some long passes training while the likes of Rupinder Pal Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh and Dipsan Tirkey, SV Sunil and Manpreet Singh were seen honing their drag-flicking skills. They practiced quite a few variations also.
Marijne stated that the practice games against Argentina and England were basically to get the players into the match mode. “Practice games don’t have visuals. It’s just about how you build up. First of all the game against Argentina was not really a test for us as they had travelled for close to 48 hours and were completely jetlagged. In the England game we just wanted to improve in every department and work accordingly,” Marijne pointed out.
Marijne, also said that against England, the hosts had initially faced difficulty in adjusting to the speed of the rivals. “We had problems in the first few minutes but we came back stronger as the game progressed. It just shows that the boys are ready to adapt to any challenges,” Marijne pointed out.
Marijne has been continuously sharing stories of the difficulties in his own life and how he overcame those, with the players. “It is a simple way of keeping them motivated… you tell them the hardships and they feel inspired and ready for the challenges ahead. It helps players to stay focused about the tough situations they may face and allows them to think of ways to beat those hindrances,” Marijne added.
Dixon’s advice
Bhubaneswar: England midfielder Adam Dixon has asked his attackers to be wary of young Indian defenders Dipsan Tirkey and Amit Rohidas when the two sides face-off in a HWLF clash here Sunday. The 28-year-old Dixon had played alongside the two at Kalinga Lancers in the 2017 edition of the HIL. “I’ve played with Dipsan and Amit in Kalinga Lancers team and I am definitely telling my team to watch out for these two guys. They are extremely good at the backline,” Dixon said, Wednesday.
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