THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: FORMER India hockey goalkeeper Romeo James touched upon key topics involving Indian sport, talent identification, in this interview to this daily. He was part of the panel that discussed the importance of the National Sports Policy on Saturday, which aims to rethink the way sport is approached in the country. Excerpts
On the new National Sports Policy.
I feel that the policy has touched upon all the crucial areas for sports development. Be it any sport or other connected fields like sports science or sports medicine, the policy draft is helpful. However, grassroots-level work for this will take time. The concern should be the proper implementation of the sports policy. I hope this will reap rewards in the next ten years.
On hockey’s progress
There is no dearth of improvement, and we will keep on improving. But it takes experience for players and goalkeepers to mature. Being a goalkeeper myself, I know that. I hope our players will do better in the coming matches.
On how the policy would work for hockey
Not just hockey, any sport in general. The policy emphasises work at the ground level, especially in schools and colleges. Talent identification at an early age is something that we have lost out on in the last few decades. That was not the case in the 70s or 80s. Niranjan Negi and I are a few names who got identified at a very young age.
On top level athletes from Kerala
Kerala, used to, and still has, good athletes. Take hockey for example, PR Sreejesh is a recent sensation. Earlier we had Manuel Frederick. And from what I understand, there is an unmatched craze for football here. I have been told by many people, “Everyone plays football in Kerala (laughs).”
On 2036 Olympics
If we had been aiming for the 2036 Olympics, I feel that we are two years behind schedule. Because if you catch them young, say at an age of 9-12, by the time of the event, they would be 19-20, properly trained young adults. But even now, we have enough time ahead, and with the new policy, I am very positive about our Olympic performance.
On protecting talents from societal pressures
I think my generation has seen the worst side of it, especially those who couldn’t make it big. Not all sportspersons will be able to reach the top level and play for India. There will be people who reach the state or lower levels, or play for clubs. But I feel the sports policy will change this perception in society.
On the major hurdles
For any sport to come up, we need to have both short-term and long-term goals. National Sports Policy is our long term goal. The prime focus now is to implement this with proper coaching, good instructors, and advancement of sports medicine