India have come unstuck against the likes of Australia when it comes to the heat of battle over 60 minutes. India now hope that the men who helped guide the cricket team to 2011 50-over World Cup success can pave the way for Paris Olympic riches in hockey.
Mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton joined the Indian men’s hockey team last year under fellow South African, head coach Craig Fulton.
How does he see India’s work ethic ahead of their bid for Paris glory?
“It’s amazing to see a squad of 30 people in a really hot training session giving their 100 per cent,” he told Gulf News. “They were working at heart-rates in the 180s and 190s, that shows how fit and dedicated they are, which really stood out.
Upton says that the players tend to rely on their undoubted skill and smart play on the field. “In a game like hockey that is so physically demanding to finish strong after 60 minutes of play, you have to be super fit,” he adds. “These guys have got the skills and they’ve got the physicality to back it up to be genuine Olympic gold contenders.”
He concedes that Australia is one of the teams that India have failed to prevail against. When Upton and cricket head coach Gary Kirsten joined the Indian team in 2008, the former knew of their star talent, yet it was about bringing more structure to training – without losing their on-field creativity and skill.
He added: “Similarly in hockey, Australia and the European teams tend to play a very structured game, while the Asian teams to play an open game. Coach Fulton understands the structure of those European teams and we have tried to bring in that really unique balance of having enough structure to be able to be competitive against those European teams, but not lose the Indian flair.”
There is, he adds, a similarity between India’s top cricket and hockey stars where they have been influenced by outside voices and noises. As a mental guru, Upton has been tasked with moving these to the background over the last year.
He adds: “On the field of play, they need to be taking full responsibility for the game and the decisions. From a sportsmen’s perspective, they really want to be reducing any external impact or influence and want them to become more internally referenced, meaning I am the master of my destiny.”
