The Autobiography of Balbir Singh (Senior)
By Samuel Banerjee, Vikas Publishers, 1977
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Thick of Coaching |
After the Teheran Asiad reversal, the Punjab government offered to train the team for the World Cup, and through to the Montreal Olympics. The Punjab Government played a significant role in organizing the camp. The facilities provided to the trainees were excellent. The players were accommodated in a newly constructed hostel. Well furnished rooms were placed at the disposal of each player. |
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ndian
hockey had been shattered by successive defeats at Munich (1972 Olympics),
Amsterdam (1973 World Cup) and Teheran (1974 Asiad). There was infighting in the
IHF, and the old establishment almost broke up in face of these defeats. The
International Hockey Federation had disaffiliated the IHF, and the Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) was managing the hockey affairs.
After the Teheran Asiad reversal, the Punjab government offered to train the team for the World Cup, and through to the Montreal Olympics. The then IOA president, Raja Bhalindra Singh, graciously accepted Punjab chief minister Giani Zail Singh's offer.
I worked hard to instill confidence in the players and ensure that their morale remained high. Gurcharan Singh Bodhi assisted me in coaching, and V. J. Peter, who joined later, helped us as a trainer. Punjab University allowed its staff member S. S. Gill to help us as a physical trainer.
The Punjab Government played a significant role in organising the camp. The facilities provided to the trainees were excellent in all respects. The players were accommodated in a newly constructed girl's hostel on the Punjab University campus. Well furnished rooms were placed at the disposal of each player.
Cooks were engaged for preparing food in both Indian and western style. It facilitated the changeover to the western style of food which the teams normally got outside India. The menu was decided by the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, and Punjab University. Each player consumed around 4500 - 5000 calories per day.
The training was strenuous but scientific. A team of experts of the Christian Medical College (Ludhiana), led by Dr. Sukhendu Mohan Mukherjee, carried out physical fitness tests of the players. The tests revealed that the fat under the skin had vanished and the muscle weight of the players had increased. Hence the speed and stamina of the players had increased.
It can now be said without fear of contradiction that our team was the fittest in the World Cup at Kuala Lumpur. Ours was the only team that was made to play 5 matches on 5 consecutive days, and once with a gap of barely 12 hours! Both in the semi-final and the final of the World Cup, our team came from behind not only to equalize, but ultimately to win the matches.
Author introducing kids hockey team to Ashwini Kumar