India took their eye off the ball: Ric Charlesworth on decline of Indian hockey in 1990s (2024)

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 22, 2018 17:11 IST

Indian hockey's former technical director and a hugely celebrated player and coach Richard Charlesworth felt Indian hockey saw the decline in late 80s and 90s because they became stagnant and began the blame game.

India last won an Olympic medal in hockey, which was a gold, in 1980 in Moscow. Before that, India had won six straight gold medals from 1928-1956 and then bagged two gold medals, one silver and two bronze till 1980. Post that, none at all.

Charlesworth spent some 10 unhappy months in the Indian hockey system and he said that when he was here, too many changes were happening at all times.

"I was the technical advisor and the coaches were changing a lot, there were too many changes at that time. I feel India went through a period, 1980s-1990s. Into the 80s, they were still good but in 90s, it began with them blaming everyone and it's not our fault, it's the astro turf and I think they took their eye off the ball," Charlesworth told indiatoday.in at the sidelines of a Royal Stag Perfect Strokes event in New Delhi.

He further described how he learnt all the hockey from the subcontinent and his coaches were all Indians but then it all changed one day.

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"When I was young, all my coaches were Indians. They would come after their retirements and stuff and we learnt our hockey from the subcontinent. But then India just stopped their development, constant learning. What also contributed was that India won the Cricket World Cup in 1983 and that took priority. Hockey was put behind in public memory and it suffered."

However, Charlesworth said that he sees the change happening in Indian hockey and he feels things are now moving in the right direction.

"I think that's changed in the last decade and I think Hockey India League was a part of the reason it changed. Players interacted with foreign players more, they learnt tactically, they were physically more prepared in a whole range of ways, they can match with anybody and they've started to believe it. Once you start believing it, you can do anything."

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India recently lost to Malaysia in the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Indonesia and lost their chance to directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. India were defending champions at the Asian Games and were expected to retain their title. However, they dramatically faltered before salvaging a bronze medal against Pakistan.

After the semi-final loss, there were calls that the Indian team needed a sports psychologist to handle the pressure of important moments. Coach Harendra Singh was initially defiant but soon changed his stance and asked for sports psychologist.

Charlesworth feels that half the battle is won if one is mentally strong but also added that most countries don't focus on the mental part of the game.

"The biggest competitive advantage in sports I feel is in human behaviour. You have to do the sports sciences well and the analysis, be smart and fit but in human behaviour, you have the biggest advantage and you have to do that well but most countries don't. Like I'm someone who has an expertise in coaching and technique and tactics but I'm not an expert in human behaviour so I need someone who is to help me."

Charlesworth excelled as the coach of the Australian women's and men's teams. With the women from 1993 to 2000, Charlesworth won four Champions Trophy titles, two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a Commonwealth gold.

With the men's team from 2009 to 2014, Charlesworth won three Champions Trophy titles, two World Cups and one Commonwealth Games gold medal. Charlesworth has almost had a perfect coaching career in Australia.

"For me as a coach, having a connected team is the most important thing and then comes the execution of skills at the most important moments.

"What I believe the good thing for me was that I coached the women's team [Australia] first and I thought that I would expect the same from them as I would of the men's hockey players. Then I found athletes in the team who had the passion and wanted to be the best in the world because of which there was a very good and healthy internal competition in the camp. Then what I looked for a coach was how everyone fit in the team and how they would execute things on the pitch as a unit."

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Charlesworth also had words of praise for AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli as he detailed on what he believes are the two facets of a good leadership.

"Leadership particularly has two facets. First is as a captain in which direction do you want to go and take the team. Secondly, what example they set. Like in the case of AB de Villiers, he just mentioned, and Virat Kohli, they lead by example. The demeanour of a captain is extremely important for the team."

Asked who he felt is the perfect sportsperson, Charlesworth took the name of Lionel Messi. "Messi, he is special."

The Hockey World Cup 2018 is set to begin on November 28 in Bhubaneswar and Charlesworth believes India have a chance to win a medal but listed three other countries for the chance at the trophy.

"I think there are three teams that are most likely to win it -- either Belgium or Australia or Holland. But India can win a medal."