You have a chance to create a legacy: What hockey coach Harendra told India during their 26-0 win

Jakarta: As the Indian men’s hockey team prepared to leave for the Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang a few days ago, the talk veered around how many goals would they be able to pump in against their first two opponents – Indonesia and Hong Kong China. There was no doubt on who will be the winner.

Here at the Games, journalists and spectators would often place mock bets on the victory margin as the lop-sided matches left them with plenty to do! None, however, was able to guess that this team – aggressive and focused as coach Harendra Singh describes them – will go on to break the 86-year-old record of the highest victory margin set by an Indian team.

On Tuesday they did just that walloping their Pool A opponents Hong Kong China 26-0, wiping off the 24-1 scoreline set at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics against USA. With it, PR Sreejesh and his boys created a “legacy” and carved their names into history books – stuff that they believe “they can tell their grandchildren one day”.

Word has it that Indian goalkeeper at the 1932 Olympics, Richard Allen was giving autographs when the team conceded that one goal in the record 24-1 win. But here at the Gelora Bung Karno hockey complex in Jakarta, Sreejesh and fellow custodian Krishan Pathak could afford something that is rare in Indian hockey. Such was India’s dominance that they did not field a goalkeeper in the last seven minutes of the game!

India led 14-0 at half time and pumped in four more in the third quarter, allowing coach Harendra to remove the goalkeeper and field Rupinder Pal as an extra man (kicking back).

Hong Kong China tried to find their way into the Indian circle at this juncture and appealed for a penalty corner which was turned down by the video umpire. Drag-flicker and defender Rupinder, who had taken his position as a goalkeeper for once, collected the ball from India’s half and went all the way up to score a field goal in what the most entertaining moment of the match.

Even Sreejesh and Pathak – who manned the goal early on exchanging places – enjoyed this carnage from the dugout as the Indian strikers had a field day.

“It was very different and we thoroughly enjoyed it,” said skipper Sreejesh after India set the new record. “It was very important to begin on a dominant note as we know there are some tough matches coming up next.

“It is great to set this record but more than that, it is important to play like this,” said the custodian who could actually afford to take a nap, with no shots on goals coming in from Hong Kong China.

So, how does he keep himself charged up with not much to do?

“You know what, that is the tricky part,” says Sreejesh. “The entire match you do not even get to touch the ball and are not even warmed-up enough, so there is a greater chance of conceding a goal when suddenly a ball comes out of nowhere.

“I did not want to be caught off guard and thus kept up the decibel levels high, speaking to the players and the video analyser at all times.”

That though was the only activity though that the six feet tall goalkeeper could get on the day as the strikers kept the Hong Kong China goalkeeper and defenders busy.

Coach Harendra revealed he had “passed on the message to his boys” at the half time break as India sighted the record.

“At half time when we led 14-0, I told the boys ‘you have a chance to create a legacy and I want all of you to be that team which will be remembered for a long, long time’. We set the target at 25 goals at least,” Harendra said.

“Records are meant to be broken and this too will be overtaken too someday. But for now, let us all enjoy it.”

He, however, added that the “real Asian Games will begin for India two days later” when they face Japan.

“We cannot forget that we are here to win the gold medal. These were more like practice matches and now the action will begin.”