“Every sport is exciting, but what a team game like hockey and football brings to the table is extraordinary. Don’t believe me? Try playing!”
Mir Ranjan Negi’s story is of faith in failure and hopes in despair. It is the story of a man who lost everything and won everything again. A silver medal as a player at the 1982 Asian Games, three gold medals as a coach at the 1998 Asian Games (Men), 2002 Commonwealth Games (Women), and 2004 Asia Cup (Women), and above all, a very humble human being. Need I say more?
In an exclusive chat with The Sports Column, Mr. Negri spoke first about India’s early exit at the 2023 Hockey World Cup.
Mir Ranjan Negi: After the Tokyo bronze, I expected massive changes in the atmosphere at home. Hockey India must have organized exhibition matches for men & women between our Olympic Team V/s state teams in popular places in our country. But, unfortunately, we killed the euphoria by doing nothing. Removing our main defenders, Rupinder Pal & Rani Rampal, is a big blow. Harmanpreet fumbled, Hardik picked up an injury, and it’s painful to accept the exclusion of Simranjeet and Jugraj. Overall, the crowds & atmosphere were mesmerizing, but we could have played our natural style.
Negri surmises that “The World Cup has seen some very good goalkeeping moments. When asked about the goalkeeping strategies and gaps between coaching and fitness standards, Mr. Negi said, “There is this mindset where if the goalkeeper stops one or two goals initially, he plays well for the rest of the match. If it’s not his day, there is a 2nd goalkeeper. And as a coach, you can make out easily if someone is not performing. I want to know why our team management changes goalkeepers after every quarter. Krishan played better than Sreejesh. Goalkeepers set targets for every game, & bringing another goalie disturbs their rhythm. It doesn’t go well with my ideology and thinking.”
Mr. Negi continued by commenting about where he sees India’s men’s and women’s teams in the future and whether he is ready to coach the Indian teams if offered. “I will give my right arm to coach the Indian team and do full justice as I did earlier, but it will not happen. In my diary in 1998 and my book ‘From Gloom to Glory,’ I wrote that Asian Games was my last chance to coach India. We did not heed any threats or coercions that came our way. More former players should be involved in team management. Aslam Sher Khan tried something, but till today, everything has stayed the same. We have talent, but we need good administrators, and organizing the Khelo-India games alone will serve no purpose. Only when our players learn to enjoy this wonderful sport will we start winning well.”
Courtesy Star of Mysore
India prides itself in conducting some of the oldest hockey tournaments, like the Nehru Hockey Tournament, Aga Khan Cup, and Beighton Cup; when asked about his favorite moments about them, he said, “Many good players rose to fame from these famous tournaments. I remember Satti, the ball Boy in Nehru Hockey Tournament, who used to manage an entire game alone with his unique style. Every game would start with Satti putting the ball in the center. People loved his style of running & covering the entire breadth of the hockey pitch. I played many matches with the Combined Universities Hockey Team and still have some photographs clicked by the only hockey photographer of that time, Asok Vahie.”
He had more to say, too. “Aga Khan Cup at the Bombay Gymkhana attracted good crowds and was the connoisseur of India’s hockey teams. Players used to wait to go to Mumbai because of the glamour, and the media coverage was like nowhere else. Bollywood stars like Dilip Kumar would also visit. The first time Mohammad Shahid came with the U P XI, he mesmerized the crowd with his exemplary excellent stick work and artistry. Mumbai media made him an instant star overnight, and a legend was born on that ground. The Aga Khan Tournament got a big jolt after some unfortunate issues, and efforts to revive the same proved futile in the future. However, it is surprising that a city like Kolkata lacks an Astroturf ground until very late. Hockey India should organize a big domestic tournament to attract sponsors and support All-India Tournaments in a big way.”
Here is the rest of the interview.
Ravi: How do you see hockey evolving in your state of Uttarakhand?
Mir Ranjan Negi: Uttarakhand had powerful administrative control but no big to promote hockey. Many goalkeepers in my coaching days followed the hockey goalkeeping basics. I was the first Goalkeeping Coach to start an exclusive goalkeeper-based training program with ball machines, and all my goalkeepers outshined in every tournament. Ashish Ballal, Helen Mary, or any goalkeepers in that era will tell how we had separate sessions for everyone and focused on improving their goalkeeping skills.
Ravi: Franchise sport has changed the global sporting ecosystem. How do you see this modern-day approach in sports and hockey?
Mir Ranjan Negi: If you see my interviews 30-35 years back, I have been harping and advocating on bringing glamour, entertainment, and professionalism into hockey. Hockey India League was one such initiative. I was the first to visit Mr. Narendra Batra with the sponsors and proposal to start the format. Dilip Tirkey persuaded Mr. Naveen Patnaik to invest money and revive the game. Every second day one hears the story of former players struggling to make two ends meet. This week, I listened to the sorry plight of Vincent Lakra in Jharkhand, who played for over ten years for India. His family is in bad shape. A Punjab state-level hockey player is, unfortunately, working as a porter. Indian Hockey is not new to these stories. Khelo India is a good initiative where we get to see a lot of talents but mind it; we still need a revolution at the grassroots level to revive all sports, not only hockey.
Ravi: Unfortunately, many Indian players hide/fake injuries, ruin their careers, or bring a bad name to the federation. How do you see this in the present-day hockey culture?
Courtesy Hindustan Times
Mir Ranjan Negi: Merwyn Fernandes and I were coaches of the Indian team just before the Asian Games in 1998. We saw one unbelievable talent in a player called Rajiv Mishra. He had killer passes and game sense and used to deflect the balls with such. It reminded me of Pakistan’s Hassan Sardar. But he used to run in a straight line even if there were space on the left and right. It surprised us. When asked, he told us that he had a bad knee: a cartilage tear or something. And we were forced to make the harsh decision of dropping him. We were sad and told him that this was all destiny and that India would lose if we went against it. He left quietly and never got a chance to don Indian colors. Many players did not talk about their injuries, and the team suffered. Even coaches and selectors are at fault for selecting such players. You cannot cheat in sports. If you are not performing, the whole world comes to know. If you play well, everyone is there to support you.
Ravi: I always feel Indian Hockey (men and women) needs Indian coaches and a bit against foreign coaches. What are your views on this?
Mir Ranjan Negi: I always feel that coaches must take the best out of their players. Tell me, which coach can teach Dhanraj Pillay how to play, hit or stop a ball? Foreign coaches are good on paper and presentations, but as far as reading the game is concerned, Indians are the best. Ric Charlesworth was the coach of Mumbai Indians during the first Hero Hockey India League, but they stood last. Even other top foreign coaches flopped. A K Bansal, the only Indian coach of Delhi Dare Devils, won the tournament. We know our player’s psyches from close and treat them accordingly. Foreign coaches treat everyone equally. You must treat and train every player individually, and only an Indian coach can read/understand us completely. Hockey is our game, and we need help understanding our players better. There are many Indian CEOs in MNCs, and I still don’t understand this obsession with foreign coaches. On the other hand, we can send our coaches abroad and impart better training and coaching standards.
Ravi: Can you talk about Abhi Foundation?
Mir Ranjan Negi: We conceptualized Abhi Foundation in Australia on the first death anniversary of our 19-year-old son Abhi Ranjan Negi. We lost him in a motorbike accident on Diwali day. We opened many academies across Mumbai, organized coaching camps across Maharashtra, distributed hockey sticks and apparel to the needy, etc. Many of our players went on to play for university and state teams. Our ward Suraj Karkera played for India. We have die-hard hockey lovers like Mukul Pandey as coaches who invested money and gave back so much to the game. I have been coaching hockey to around 200 kids on the roads every day, and there needs to be more laxity on the part of everyone, from administrators in the associations to the government.
Ravi: Why do you think we should have celebrated our legends?
Mir Ranjan Negi: The number of hours spent by our Indian hockey team is probably the maximum in the world. No teams in the world practice continuously for the entire year like we do. Foreign players are working professionals. We should treat our hockey players as the idols they are for youngsters to emulate. Federations are against this culture, and many players suffer for being media-friendly. Sporadic attempts will not solve the purpose.
Ravi: What is your philosophy in sports and life, and what message would you give modern-day players and coaches about ethics and character?
Mir Ranjan Negi: Sports is all about fun, frolic, and masti. Let’s not complicate it with your ambitions and egos, jeopardizing your child’s life with something they do not want. You, as a parent, like your child to play cricket because you see the glamour and a lot of money in it. You must arouse interest and passion in your child for the game and never force anything on them. We are progressing as a country, and there is always something better your child can contribute or do rather than what you are forcing upon them. Let them play what they like the most and pursue their passions. Be assured that God has great plans for everyone. The same applies to coaches. Till the child enjoys your training, they will listen to you. It is very easy to criticize. Instead of blaming, always point out good things they have done during the matches and practice. Develop a deep relationship with your students. There must be music around your behavior, and everyone is excited to listen to or meet you. Every sports is exciting, but what a team game like hockey and football brings to the table is extraordinary. Don’t believe me? Try playing!
