India should try to win every match: Ashok Kumar

Ashok Kumar, son of legendary Dhyan Chand, scored the deciding goal against Pakistan in the final of the 1975 Hockey World Cup. It was the last time that India won the World Cup. Ashok Kumar shared the ecstasy of that victory, as well as his views on the chances of Team India this time in a freewheeling chat with Zeenews.com’ Biswajit Jha. Excerpts from that interview: Does the Indian team have any chance of winning the World Cup this time? To be very honest, this team does not have any chance of winning the World Cup. They can at best win two or three matches. What’s your take on India’s first match against arch-rivals Pakistan? Who is the favourite? An India-Pakistan match is always important. It is a match that can inspire India to do well in the tournament. If they beat Pakistan in that match, India can reach semis. Who is the favourite team to win the World Cup? Australia is most likely to win this tournament considering their strength and recent form. But there are Pakistan and Spain, who are also capable of winning. Are you happy with the team combination? No. This team does not have the killer instinct. Do you mean this is not the best Indian team? Definitely not. It’s not a team which is selected. It’s a nominated team. It has been nominated by a certain coterie, like the coach and some people in Hockey India. A team which is not selected can’t be the best. What’s your take on captaincy debate…will this affect the morale of the team? In a hockey team, the role of captain is very important. He is the one who inspires the entire team. Third class captains destroyed Indian hockey in the past. Sandeep Singh was doing really well as a captain, but he was suddenly replaced… Yes. He was doing really well. We won the Azlan Shah under him. He is a fine player. But all of a sudden he was replaced. What’s your view about Indian coach Jose Brasa? I did not like his vision when I met him. He was talking about the basics. Time and again he said that India is not playing to win the World Cup. He will be happy if we finish at 4 or 5. It can’t be our goal. We have to set targets that will help us reach the top level. Tell something about the 1975 team that won World Cup by defeating Pakistan in the final… The victory meant a lot for Indian hockey. It was India’s first big title after the gold at the 1964 Olympics. The felicitations were unbelievable and we were worshipped as heroes. The great phase of India’s domination in the Olympics can never be matched, but this World Cup win would always rekindle fond memories of a great feat. I remember my father’s (Dhyan Chand) happy face when we returned. He was proud that a member of his family had brought joy and glory to India. You scored the decider in the final…how was the feeling? Every time the fans have asked me to share that joy, I have enjoyed recounting it. Philips initiated the move on the right and passed the ball to me. I hit the ball on the run and found the target, much to the delight of the team and our supporters. Defending that lead was not easy as Pakistan made every effort to draw level, but it was our day. What was the USP of that team? That team had Ashok Kumar (laughs). Jokes apart, that team had everything-vision, zeal, team spirit and some great players with lot of skills. What’s your message for the current Indian team? Try to win every match. Don’t play to save the match. Always play to win. It’s an honour to represent your country in the World Cup. Play for self-pride and the pride of the nation.