Hockey WC: Pool B: Day 5 - India v. Spain - Time: 08:35PM IST

[ViruRulez]

It's not so simple - the hockey style played in India' date= just does not suit synthetic surfaces and all these rule changes like abolition of the offside rule have driven traditional Asian hockey out of the mainstream. I am watching the Western teams muscle through goal after goal and it's a completely different ball game from what the game used to be.

I wont completely agree with this rule changes affecting and nearly ending good teams .. I dont follow hockey but if I compare with cricket then yes some rule changes like PP etc. have helped Indian cricket because we are a powerful batting unit ... but that does not mean that a good team wont survive and prosper even after rule changes ... Australia has survived throughout the last decade even after all these changes and that is a good example Anyways I think we need to adhere and accept the rule changes and also change with it .. the commies in the hockey match were saying that Korea started hockey only in 1994 and they have already become a powerful hockey team .. they are also an Asian team .. so if there is a will there would surely be a way .. after reading the reason why football was never a big sport in India due to not wearing shoes and boycotting world cups in the 50s is really ridiculous .. we need to accept the rules and play and change our games accordingly IMO .. otherwise we will be left out of competition if we just regret and boycott or neglect it

[Lurker]

I wont completely agree with this rule changes affecting and nearly ending good teams .. I dont follow hockey but if I compare with cricket then yes some rule changes like PP etc. have helped Indian cricket because we are a powerful batting unit ... but that does not mean that a good team wont survive and prosper even after rule changes ... Australia has survived throughout the last decade even after all these changes and that is a good example

OK I agree I am not an avid hockey follower/fan, but can you please tell me how come the bar was raised so high (well according to you its lowered) that the gulf between quality of Indian/Asian players have increased wrt foreign teams.

You probably would not be asking that question if you had played hockey. Hockey is probably the most vigorous of all field games, certainly the most of the ones I have played. You have to be in top shape, condition and physically fit to run bent over for 25-30 meters then suddenly fall back and run even faster. Folks like Yuvraj Singh would not last a day in hockey. What has changed over the years is the game has become more physical than art. South Koreans score amongst Asian countries because they can freaking run all day. Ever wondered why Koreans, or Chinese/Japanese gymnasts, win so much medals? Well same reason. They are physically extremely fit. Call me a self-loather but one of the reasons why cricket is popular in India is it suits our lazy lifestyle. Even a portly 250 pound person has no problem walking 3 steps and "spin" bowling. Everytime you step out in a public park in USA(not to mention India) you see bunch of married men with towel rack belly fielding in gully. And they do it every weekend. You can bet your bottom dollar these folks would die of heart attack if they play a hockey game. xxx

[The Outsider]

Indian hockey needs star or two that are followed by masses. I certainly used to watch hockey games to see Dhanraj Pillay in action. Once we have couple of stars, viewers will come

OK I agree I am not an avid hockey follower/fan, but can you please tell me how come the bar was raised so high (well according to you its lowered) that the gulf between quality of Indian/Asian players have increased wrt foreign teams.

I wont completely agree with this rule changes affecting and nearly ending good teams .. I dont follow hockey but if I compare with cricket then yes some rule changes like PP etc. have helped Indian cricket because we are a powerful batting unit ... but that does not mean that a good team wont survive and prosper even after rule changes ... Australia has survived throughout the last decade even after all these changes and that is a good example

It's not just about finding a star or the bar being raised high all of a sudden. With synthetic surfaces, the entire fundamentals of the game has changed and in India there are a handful of synthetic surfaces in each state. Hockey is still played on grass on the whole, the game where is much more focused on dribbling and short passes. On synthetic surfaces the game becomes more oriented towards long shots and penalty corners. None of our players are adept at that kind of a game when they start playing. It's not easy to score off penalty corners on grass, on synthetic surfaces it becomes a crucial part of the game. India did not even have a penalty corner specialist till the mid 90s. With the dumping of the offside rule, it has become even more loaded in favor of the long shot game. It's no longer necessary to defeat the opposition defense through skill, you can do it through power with your forwards waiting near the goalkeeper. Another skill that you develop playing on grass made irrelevant.