Goalkeeper Akash Chikte and midfielder Chinglensana Singh are important members of India’s hockey team. But come the 3 Nations invitational tournament in Germany in June and the Hockey World League Semi-Final in England thereafter, they will both have additional responsibilities.
PR Sreejesh, India’s inspirational goalkeeper and captain, will not be making these two trips as he is still recovering from an injury he picked up at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in May. Hence, Chikte, will have to step into Sreejesh’s goalkeeping boots, while Chinglensana will be doing the vice-captaincy duties, assisting Mandeep Singh who has been named the captain in Sreejesh’s absence.
But both of them are ready to take up the challenge. “I am ready to take on more responsibility,” said the 24-year-old Chikte, who currently resides in Pune. “It’s time for me to prove myself.” Singh, on the other hand, is clear about his duties as a vice-captain: “You’ve got to provide support the captain…zimmedari lena hai [I need to take responsibility].”
Spreading hockey far and wide
In a squad which, in recent times, has seen a lot of players from North India, Chikte is the only player from Maharashtra while Singh, along with Kothajit Singh, are the only two players from the state of Manipur. Both Chikte and Singh agree on one fact: Hockey needs to be taken out of its traditional strongholds and spread to other places.
“The facilities are not there…there aren’t enough grounds in Manipur,” said Singh. “There are 3-4 grounds but you need more. Players need more chance to practice.”
Chikte echoes a similar sentiment. “Pune used to be a hotbed of hockey. But it is not anymore,” he says. “We need more national camps there so that players can get more opportunities. Punjab and Haryana have so many players in the national team, Maharashtra must also catch up.”
The Hockey India League, India’s highest professional hockey league, has teams from Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kalinga, Ranchi and Mumbai. But Chikte and Singh feel there should be more representation from other regions.
“There should definitely be a team from the North East in the HIL,” felt Singh. “Once you have a team, more players will get a chance to represent their skills. It will be a boost for hockey in the region.”
For his part, Chikte also bats for a team from Pune in the same tournament for essentially the same reasons. “The focus has shifted to cricket and football in recent times in Pune,” he said. “To get that focus back, we need a team from Pune in the HIL”.
The path forward
Singh hails from a village in Manipur which is hockey-obsessed. “Everyone plays hockey in my village,” smiled the 25-year-old. “So you had no choice but to pick up the hockey stick.” Brojen Singh, an iconic name from the North East in Indian hockey, played a big role in his rise. “My financial condition wasn’t great. But Brojen Sir helped me out by supplying sticks, shoes, equipment whenever required. I owe a great deal of my success to him and my family.”
Chikte had a different journey to the top – he did not even start in hockey. “I used to play football in school,” remembered the goalkeeper who hails from Yevatman district in Maharashtra: “One day, the hockey coach asked me to play as their goalkeeper. I think he liked my height. It started off from there...I got selected in the nationals and came to the academy in Balewadi in Pune. I got a job in the Bombay Engineer Group in Khadki and now stay in the city.”
Guarding the goal, according to him, is a challenge like no other. “The way I see it,” he analysed. “As a goalkeeper, you can influence the result. One small mistake can cost your team the match. In the same way, a brilliant save can revitalise a team.”
Onwards and upwards
That’s why, according to him, mental strength is very important. “We do daily camps and we practice. Along with training on saving penalty corner, we also have mental strength and mental training classes.”
Chikte fondly remembers the Asian Champions Trophy final in 2016 which he described as a turning point. Playing against Pakistan in the final, the goalie put up a fantastic performance, making some great saves to take India to a 3-2 win over their arch-rivals.
“I didn’t get a chance to play in the Olympics,” he said. “So I wanted to prove myself. It was a great tournament and winning the title was the best. We defeated Pakistan twice in the tournament and making those saves gave me the confidence I needed to prove I belonged on this stage.”
Yet both the players agree that the team’s performance must improve after a disappointing performance at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia where India finished third.
“We didn’t do as well as we could have in Malaysia,” says a frank Chikte. Singh agrees with him. “Yes, there were some shortcomings. But we need to get our focus back. There are two important tournaments ahead…the Three-Nations and the Hockey World League Semi-final. We’ve trained extensively with [Roelant] Oltmans Sir and are confident of doing well.”
And for both the players, a good showing is desperately required after a disappointing performance at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia where India finished third.
“We didn’t do as well as we could have in Malaysia,” says a frank Chikte. Singh agrees with him. “Yes, there were some shortcomings. But we need to get our focus back. There are two important tournaments ahead…the Three-Nations and the Hockey World League Semi-final. We’ve trained extensively with [Roelant] Oltmans Sir and are confident of doing well.”
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