‘Everybody can play on turf’: Dutch Olympic champion explains where India are falling behind

Mohali: Former Netherlands hockey star Floris jan Bovelander believes India’s vast talent pool can only translate into sustained global success if the country improves access to artificial turf pitches and strengthens grassroots development programmes.In Punjab for the Asian Champions Trophy, Bovelander, who has been involved in hockey development projects in India for more than a decade, said the biggest difference between hockey powers such as the Netherlands and India remained infrastructure at the grassroots level.“We have more than a thousand turf pitches in the Netherlands and all kids start on turf pitches,” Bovelander said. “The techniques and tactics of modern hockey are easier to learn when you play on turf from a young age.”While India possesses a far larger playing base, he noted that many pitches remain concentrated in stadiums and elite centres, limiting access for young players.“You have pitches, but sometimes you’re not allowed to play on them because they’re in stadiums. In the Netherlands, everybody can play on the turf pitches. That’s important for development,” said the two-time Olympic gold medallist.Bovelander, who helped establish the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Jharkhand and remains involved in community-based programmes through the Bovelander Foundation, stressed that infrastructure alone was not enough.“There is often a lot of focus on high performance, but high-performance hockey benefits from strong grassroots programmes,” he added. “You need festivals, school competitions, youth leagues and good coaching. Elite players inspire young children, but you also need a strong base underneath.”As for the Indian men’s team, Bovelander said it had developed into one of the world’s most difficult sides to beat, citing back-to-back Olympic bronze medals as evidence of its progress. However, he admitted India had occasionally fallen short in key moments at major tournaments.“They are one of the top teams in the world. Maybe they are missing a little bit in the key moments, but they are always there,” he said. “If things go their way at one of the next major tournaments, they can win.”Bovelander also called for a healthy balance between experienced players and emerging talent, saying national teams should avoid relying on reputation alone.“Players should be in the team because of their performances, not because of their history,” he said. “Young players must keep pushing the experienced ones.”India’s 2016 Junior World Cup-winning generation had gone on to form the backbone of the senior side, he noted, but the challenge now was ensuring the next crop of youngsters was given similar opportunities.As far as his discussions with Punjab’s administration is concerned, Bovelander said he hoped to explore ways of contributing to coaching and grassroots initiatives, adding that expanding access to playing facilities would be among the issues he would raise with policymakers.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.