IHF to be blamed for sending unfit players

No team, at any level of the game, can afford to throw away four scoring chances in the first 20 minutes and three more during the course of the match, as India did against the Dutch on Friday night, and expect to win.

The fact that this Indian team took the field with several injured players, who, a fortnight ago, were declared fit, cannot be swept under the carpet, and on Friday night, skipper Dhanraj Pillay, centre-half Mohammed Riaz and full-back Anil Aldrin stoodexposed.

Pillay, having muffed up a couple of chances in the first-half, was benched for the entire second session when it became evident that he just could not generate the pace, probably still to recover fully from a hair-line fracture on his foot.

Riaz and Aldrin too were unfit as could be gauged by their recovery which was slow and ponderous and, at best of times, non-existent.

No amount of statements to the contrary will justify the clearance of these injured players. Surely, it is time that the doctors who provide fitness certificates are held accountable as do the national selectors (having been players themselves) and, of course, the Indian Hockey Federation for pulling wool over the public eye.

These officials knew the score at the time of the so-called trials and yet picked unfit players. In both the games so far, against Germany (1-4) and Holland, the fitness of the Indian players, by and large, was found wanting. In fact, a majority of the nine goals came against the run of play and oncounter-attacks when the defence was comprehensively beaten for pace.

India’s deep defence which was projected as its strength, proved to be a major chink in the armour. Against the Dutch, coach Vasudevan Baskaran included all the three full-backs in the starting line-up and yet India conceded three goals.

In patches, the Indians were superior to both Germans and Dutch. The Germans and the Dutch made the best of the openings that came their way, and it made the difference. Now, with two defeats, India are virtually out of contention for a semi-final berth.

Never has the focus been so much on the forward-line or fitness of the players. In the past, there have been many an instance of the Federation turning a blind eye to fitness and including passengers. This time, they have only kept up to the "tradition" of such omissions and commissions. And, as usual, the officials will get away with another "murder".