As Hockey India’s High Performance Director, Herman Kruis is on a mission to develop Indian coaches. He strongly believes that the future of young players who dream of representing the country depends on the local coaches who train the beginners.
The 68-year-old Dutch felt that it’s the responsibility of the coaches to teach the basics right to the young players. “When I see the National u-21 Indian players hit the ball in a wrong manner, I don’t blame them I blame the coaches,” he said.
On the India men’s team’s chances at the Paris Olympics, the Dutch said there are 6-7 teams that are medal contenders, and it is imperative that India wins its first three matches and gets a head start before it thinks of winning a medal.
In this conversation with The Hindu, the Dutchman, who was in Chennai for a Coaches Clinic during the Tamil Nadu Schools League, spoke on a variety of issues including the need to develop Indian coaches, the need for water-based pitches, and the importance of having a good grassroots structure. Excerpts
How are the teams preparing for the Junior World Cup next year?
The teams are preparing in Bengaluru now. We have around 40 players in each group. We try to make good programs for the teams. We have a lot of plans for the boys and girls. In August, Australian teams will come to India to play a few matches. In May this year, the girls had played with Den Bosh club team in The Netherlands. We will play two matches each with Germany and Belgium and then play with a few club teams in The Netherlands.
When I compare this team with the previous one that played in the World Cup, I see we are closing the gap in technical and physical ways. In my opinion, we have a lot of talent in India. The talent is technically good but not as much with tactical. We are going step by step. Now the game has become physical and the stress is more on physical. Teams like Australia and the ones in Europe are more physical. We don’t have to copy them. We need to take the best from them and get the best out of us.
The Indian men’s team at the Junior World Cup finished fourth while the women’s team ninth. The Indian men‘s team also is expected to do well in Paris, after bagging bronze in the last edition of Olympics in Tokyo. Are you under any sort of pressure?
Why should I be under pressure? As the High Performance Director, I try to help everyone, am busy developing and supporting hockey. I expect our staff who are self-supporting, with assistance from me, to improve hockey at the grassroots. It is very easy to say that we have to win a medal in Paris Olympics. I don’t understand when people say that Indian hockey has improved. What about the other teams? Do you have a good view about Germany and Belgium? Do you say that they are not as good as India? I watched the Pro League and I can tell you that it will be very close. I don’t know why some say, ‘we will win a medal’.
There are 6-7 very good teams which can bag a medal. The first three matches are important. If India does well, we put ourselves in a good position. Don’t forget we have six very good teams. Especially Germany, who always come to the Olympics prepared. Belgium is an experienced team, and I consider it a developed team. I think it’s important that we start well. For me, there are at least six medal candidates at Paris.
What is your assessment of the Indian junior teams?
They are improving. We have to focus more on tactics. I think more about grassroots as that’s the base. When an u-10 kid holds the grip in a wrong way, we have a huge problem as it will likely to continue till he comes to the Indian camp. It takes 10 years to become an international player. When I visit Academies across India, I see the need to improve Indian coaches. And I hope that we get a lot of good coaches, some who are also former Internationals who have to teach the basics to our young players. When that is done, we can get u-14, 16, 18 kids who are developed. It is a long-term process. We must do much work in development.
How do you look back on your tenure?
I am not satisfied. When I visit the Academies, I see a lot of enthusiasm across India. I also see the need to close the gap in certain areas. Sometimes I am shocked. We have to change this very quickly.
Like what?
It’s bad (artificial) pitches across India. They are so old that it is not good to play. Indian kids, in general, start learning on natural grass. It is also not healthy. It is so different from water-based pitches. India needs to have more water-based pitches.
You held a three-day Clinic in Chennai recently. How has it been?
The eager coaches are happy to learn. It is important that we at Hockey India inspire our coaches, who in turn inspires the players. When they are inspired, hockey gets a thumbs-up.
What is your blueprint for the future?
I see the players play and discuss it with coaches. I like positive coaching. It is important coaches develop every day. We have to work on the development of coaches. So far, it has been very fruitful. I have given my recommendations to Sekar Manoharan, Treasurer of Hockey India and president of Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, and it is not for public consumption.
You have travelled across India. What are your views on Indian coaches?
I already told the need to improve the coaching skills of Indian coaches. We have to do it in the Academies where we go. At schools, hockey is fantastic. When you start at the grassroots, you need a good coaching staff. The need is not just to teach hockey but coach the beginners in the right way. You can see quite a few India u-21 players in Bengaluru at the camp who don’t hit the ball in a correct technical manner. I know that it’s not their fault but the fault of the coaches. We need coaches who are inspired and who have fire in their eyes.
C.R. Kumar, who was the coach of the previous Indian junior team when it finished fourth in the 2023 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, has left. What about the junior women’s team, which finished a disappointing ninth in the World Cup last year in Chile?
After the Paris Olympics, we will find a good quality coach for the junior men’s team. For girls, at the moment it will be Tushar Khandekar.
You took charge in January 2024 and your tenure ends in September. How has your Indian experience been so far?
I am not new to India. My first coaching was with the Indian women’s team in the year 2007. However, it was only for a month. It was the period when players of the calibre of Rani Rampal, Ritu Rani, Helen Mary and Joydeep Kaur was part of the Indian women’s team. Actually, in 2005 I was in Chennai for the Champions Trophy as FIH coach. I was in India (New Delhi) for the 2010 World Cup again as a part of FIH coaches group. There is lot more work left.
Indian hockey has seen a lot of changes in the last decade or so. How do you see it?
Indian hockey, in the last eight years, has taken a very big step forward. It is improving now. Earlier, it was struggling. Now, we are able to take the next step.
The academies have to develop and there should be more focus on women’s hockey. What we miss is good drag flickers, what we miss is good goalkeepers. We need to start early to spot them. We have our goalkeeper coaches’ group, we have our drag flickers coaches group. They visit academies to spot players with potential. They pick and train them and after seven weeks they go back and restart.
We ask the head coach from the academy to be in the session to make video clips and listen to our experts and take it forward. This is the first step. In 1-2 years, we will have a good view of the quality of drag-flickers and goalkeepers.
