CHENNAI: Mukesh Kumar, Haryana’s head coach, went through an emotional rollercoaster throughout the final of the senior national men’s hockey meet here. It wasn’t just the regulation time of sixty minutes, where his team came back twice against Punjab to make it 2-2, but a penalty shootout, which lasted 27 minutes, that made the 13th edition of the nationals ‘a hit!’
“Both teams had a bunch of international players, who have either played together or been together at the national camps. They know each other’s game inside out. Both teams played attacking hockey throughout the match so it was always going to be an intense matchup. In a shootout, it was always going to be tough because both goalkeepers have international experience. You can say the nationals were a hit and the final played out like another hit,” Kumar reflected after the final.
After dominant wins against Gujarat and Chhattisgarh in the group stage, Kumar always knew his team’s real test would come in the knockouts. Odisha made a comeback in the quarterfinals to push Haryana to a penalty shootout where goalkeeper Pawan became the hero. In the semifinals against Tamil Nadu, the goalkeeper again stood up. His contribution didn’t go unnoticed as captain Sumit called him ‘the one who won us the game’. “He (Pawan) won us in the quarterfinal and semifinal. He was amazing throughout the knockouts and even today he played really well,” Sumit mentioned.
Haryana will go back as the runners-up, but for Kumar, the tournament has helped them on many levels, especially for the players knocking on the door for national selection. “It is motivating for the youngsters. Once they play with the Indian players, they will get to see where they can go and what they can achieve. At the same time, they get to learn from the international players and absorb the changes happening in hockey worldwide. Whether it’s about tactics or a new approach, it’s like being a sponge. Even when we are practicing at the SAI Sonepat campus, all seniors and juniors practice together, and the sharing of knowledge follows,” said Kumar.
"We are very proud of our boys and the way they have played in the tournament. We were hoping to see many of our players representing India and that has happened consistently. We are proud of that. We have Haryana's representation in the Indian team and we had to play accordingly and make it to the final at least," the coach added.
With the experience of playing with and against some of the best international players and silver medals around their necks, the Haryana team will disperse for now. Some will go for their national duty and some will continue the hard work at the state level. For the coach, it doesn't stop here. He will go back and report for duty at the SAI Sonepat as early as possible. One tournament might be done and dusted but coaching never really stops. Result: 3rd place: Tamil Nadu bt Karnataka 5-3, Final: Punjab bt Haryana 2-2 (9-8 SO)
