New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS): Irish hockey legend David Harte is gearing up for an intense six weeks of action in the revived Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 season, starting on December 28. Harte was bought by Tamil Nadu Dragons for Rs 32 lakh at last month's auction and will play a key role in the team's journey in the tournament.
"I'm currently in the car here outside my own hockey club SV Kampong in six degrees and storm-like winds ready to go and have a goalkeeper session with my trainer Martijn Drijver. So trying to do as much as I can, even though our season only finished up, I think about 10 days ago, took a bit of time off. 2024 has been a heavy season, of course, for a lot of players. So now it's trying to find the right balance between, you know, being fresh, but also trying to get to the peak performances in the HIL as well," Harte told IANS on his preparations for the HIL.
The 36-year-old is excited to be part of the HIL again, after playing for Mumbai Magicians and Dabang Mumbai from 2014 to 2017 in the previous version, and sees it as a financial opportunity to secure his family's future.
"I think obviously most hockey players have realised that the possibilities and the opportunities to go to the HIL and to earn money for the seven, eight weeks that you're there doesn't happen every day of your life. And especially not as a hockey player while they're quite minimal compared to the cricket or the IPL level of earnings, you can always say that that type of money can make a difference in your life.
"It can be a down payment or a deposit for a new house or a mortgage. It can help also perhaps with tuition fees for your daughters or your kids' futures," he added.
When asked about his short-term goal in the HIL, Harte emphasised bonding with fellow teammates and adjusting to the team environment initially before aiming for the title. "Short-term goal, I think, would be looking straight away to try and get the team to blend. I have played in many different leagues across Europe and also Asia. I played also in the Malaysian Hockey League and the Hockey India League as you rightly said. It's always tricky at the beginning to try and get the group to gel together," the Irish goalkeeper said.
"The different backgrounds, cultures, languages, even trying to figure out each other's names in such a short space of time is obviously quite tricky. And that will go for all of the eight teams of the different franchises. So that'll be the short-term goal. And of course, the long-term goal will be building over the common years. With the Hockey Indian team, of course, every franchise wants to win. And that's certainly something we also want to do as Tamil Nadu Dragons."
Harte, who has played in different European and Asian leagues around the world, pointed out that HIL is more intense due to its shorter period than others.
"I think obviously the different formats would be that the likes of the leagues here in Europe are for a more sustained period of time. So you have perhaps your first half of the season might be close to three months long. You have a winter break and then you finish and conclude with another three months before heading towards the playoffs and having played in the Hockey India League and Malaysia a lot shorter. Maybe the guts of eight, nine weeks at most when the previous editions were a bit longer," he said.
"I think when you're trying to get the most out of those times there is well, in the Netherlands here or the European leagues you have a bit more time and opportunity to develop yourself individually. But as a group in leagues like the Hockey India League, that's one of the biggest challenges. How can you go from A to B as quickly as possible? Realising that it's not always going to be in a straight line. There'll be some dip moments, there'll be some high moments and ultimately continuing to try to bring the group towards the goals that you want to achieve together. So that probably would be the major difference," the former Irish hockey captain said.
Harte is eager to play with Netherlands' Yip Jansen and India's Amit Rohidas in Tamil Nadu Dragons. He also added that HIL is a great platform for local talents to demonstrate their skills and secure their futures.
"I'm really excited to get over to see what it actually is like. And I think if I remember back so fondly, the good memories that I have from competing in the previous editions of the Hockey India League. I think that's the magic of the league. You get to go in. Of course, you'll know some of the international players from maybe some of them are your own club teammates like Yip Jansen or players from other countries that you played against for many, many years. But then on the same side, knowing you have the Indian stronghold players like Amit.
"And then at the same time, those unknown kind of undiscovered players who have this podium, the Hockey India League, to really show what they can do. And I think that's one of the most exciting phases for them to be in and for me to be a part of to see these players who you might not have ever heard of. But you know that potentially over years to come, they will be also going to the Olympics. They will also be competing on the highest level," he added.
Reflecting on his previous appearance in the HIL with the Mumbai Magicians (now defunct), Harte shared his interesting interaction with Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak that turned true earlier this year at the Paris Olympics.
"And I can remember my time when I was at my team in Mumbai Magicians, all those years ago, in 2017, when I met Krishan Pathak for the first time. I said to him if he was to keep going and doing what he does, recognise his athleticism and his reflexes and his ability. I said you're going to be maybe the next Indian No.1 goalkeeper. And then seven years later, you're walking in the Olympic Village with them. So I think that's also incredible as well," he recalled.