Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002
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Hockey
By Our Sports Reporter
On the eve of Indian hockey team's departure for the Champions Trophy tournament in Cologne, Germany, captain Dilip Tirkey underlined the team's strategy of ''playing according to our pace.'' "We have improved on our counter-attacking and short corners. Though most of the countries (in Champions Trophy) play a fast-paced game, we will stick to our traditional style,'' Tirkey said here on Monday. Describing the team as a balanced one, Tirkey said that the team's strength had improved after the return of veteran Dhanraj Pillay. "We will try to give our best,'' he added. Pillay was not part of the team when India played a four-nation tournament in Australia where Korea and Malaysia were the other teams. India twice beat Korea and reached the final before getting thrashed by Australia. "That (lop-sided final in Australia) is something we should try to avoid,'' said the Chief Coach, Rajinder Singh. The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) chief, Mr. K. P. S. Gill agrees. "We have a problem of recovery which sports scientists and coaches have not been able to work out. We play good one day and do badly the next day,'' Mr. Gill said. Speaking about India's chances in the Champions Trophy, Mr. Gill said that it depended on how the team played on each day. "Our preparation has been good and we hope they do well,'' he added. India has qualified for the Champions Trophy after a gap of six years. "We got very little time to prepare so it will be very tough,'' said Pillay.''Our strength is a good forward-line. I hope we click well with lot of experienced juniors in the team,'' he added. Pillay said he was looking at the Champions Trophy as a preparatory ground for the Asiad. "We won the Asian Games gold in Bangkok under my captaincy, I hope to do it again this time,'' Pillay said. India's best finish in Champions Trophy has been in 1981 in Amsterdam. India had finished third then, and the current coach, Rajinder Singh, was a member of that team. The coach said that the performance in the four-nation tournament which the team was to play before the Champions Trophy would be vital in assessing India's chances. "We will test our team strength in the Amsterdam four-nation tournament. If need be then only changes would be effected,'' he said. Australia, Korea and the Netherlands are the other teams in the four-nation event. With the three most-experienced players, Tirkey in the defence, S. S. Gill in the mid-field and Pillay in the forward line, the coach expects them to jell well with the juniors. ''This tour will basically be an event to judge and get an idea where we stand in our Asian Games preparations,'' Rajinder Singh said. "We hope to improve our rankings through Champions Trophy.'' The coach said that during his three-month-long stint with the team, he had worked extensively with penalty corner taking and claimed that there was improvement. "In whatever time we have got to prepare, the team has also improved mentally, technically and tactically. All the players are fit and there have been no injury scares,'' he added. The team: Goalkeepers: Devesh Chauhan and Bharat Chhetri; Defenders: Dilip Tirkey (capt.), Jugraj Singh, Kanwal Preet Singh and Dinesh Nayak; Mid-fielders: S. S. Gill, Viren Rasquinha, Vikram Pillay, Ignace Tirkey and Bimal Lakra; Forwards: Dhanraj Pillay, Deepak Thakur, Prabhjot Singh, Daljit Singh Dhillon, Gagan Ajit Singh, Arjun Halappa, Tejbir Singh. Officials: Rajinder Singh (chief coach), N. S. Sodhi (coach), Sampath Kumar (physio), Dr. Raj Kumar Jaipal (doctor), Aslam Sher Khan (manager).
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