Towards a new dawn

SYMBOLIC OF the shift in the balance of competitive hockey power to Europe was the victory of Germany, Federal Republic of Germany to be precise, at Munich in 1972. Etched on the mind more for the massacre of the Israeli athletes by the Palestinian militants than for other notable achievements, the hockey gold for Germany, ironically enough, was also caught in the web of a controversy. The ugly scenes that followed the final when the Pakistani players gave vent to their disappointment of losing the gold and indulging in macabre actions besmirched the image of the sport. Not surprisingly, the Pakistanis were suspended by the FIH. That it was revoked later is another story.

What the German triumph confirmed on that day was the beginning of the twilight to Asian hegemony, even its very ethos. To assume that German hockey came into focus only at Munich Olympics is absurd. Even as early as 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the German team was distinctive for its class and calibre. The seemingly invincible Indians succumbed in a match preceding the Games resulting in the national federation rushing a substitute, Ali Iqtadir Shah (Dara) to strengthen the squad which eventually retained the gold. Since then, hockey activity involving Germany and India has always been truly eventful.

To remain unaffected by the vicissitudes of the Indo-German hockey, or for that matter, acknowledging the steady and significant rise of Germany as a powerhouse, is akin to hiding a genuine sentiment. The credit for adding a new dimension to the whole concept of sport goes in a large measure to the German coaches who evolved a fresh approach based on scientific evaluation of the opponent and making total use of the space on the ground. With the Dutch, they also fashioned the means and methods to take full advantage of the penalty corners. Exponents like Micheal Peter and Wolfgang Stroeder in the Seventies carved out a vibrant chapter in executing penalty corners.

It was the power and strength of a hitter like Wolfgang Stroeder that pushed India to its most ignominious defeat in 1978 World Cup at Buenos Aires. As the defending champion, India lost 0-7.

What provided the solid base for Germany to project itself as the world leader was the efficacy of the junior programmes.

The triumphs recorded in the junior World Cups starting from 1982 at Kuala Lumpur where Carsten Fischer emerged as the famous striker. Since then, Germany won in succession two more at Vancouver and Ipoh. Illuminating however is the record in the Champions Trophy.

Seven triumphs confirm the stature and strength of the Germans who basked in the era of outstanding performances by such accomplished stars as Steven Bloecher and Heiner Dopp.

The pair with the energetic mid-fielder Eckhardt Schimdt became the most lethal combination in competitive hockey in the mid- Eighties under the guidance of the coach Klaus Kleiter, who was with the team for over 250 internationals. The Germans swept everything before them in the Champions Trophy for three years in a row from 1986.

The systematisation acquired such sophistication that at no point of time was there a dearth of talent. Whenever a substitute was needed, the Germans found one, like Carsten Fischer taking over from Michael Peter or the attack filling the gap left by Heiner Dopp or Steven Bloecher.

Even a teenager like Oliver Domke hit a new high on debut in the Champions Trophy at Berlin (1995). Andreas Keller, Thomas Reck, Christian Blunck, Volgar Fried are some of the stalwarts whose contributions to the ebb and flow cannot be easily denied as also that of the recent stars like Christoph Bechmann, Christian Mayerhofer, Michael Green and Christopher Reitz.

A quick journey down memory lane serves to introspect the depth and dimension of German hockey on the eve of the three Test series starting in Mumbai on February 26.

It is not easy to resist the temptation of recalling the last meeting between the countries in the four nation tournament at Perth in April last year. On a warm afternoon at the Perth Hockey Stadium, India won 3-2.

But the record in Tests for India has been dismal with only a solitary victory two years ago. In the home series of 1998, India lost three of the four, drawing the third at Amritsar. What the series ahead holds is difficult to guess.

It is a painful fact that hockey in Germany has been passing through a turbulent phase. Financial mismanagement has put the administration in a difficult spot, and the sport itself is not easily attracting sponsors. The recent results, especially in the Olympics, have not been very comforting. Added to that is the compulsion to bring in a new coach in place of Paul Lissek who served the team for over two decades with a brilliant record of 19 international triumphs.

Bernhard Peters, the junior coach, comes in at a time when the sport is at the cross roads.

A new chapter opens next week. Both India and Germany should use the series to launch their conquest for the year which includes Champions Trophy in Lahore as a significant event for Germany and the World Cup qualifer in Edinburgh as the goal for India.

S. THYAGARAJAN

Chennai

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Three Indians fall by way side
Next     : Antequera proves to be refreshingly different