IHF keen to keep the urn crackling

By S. Thyagarajan

CHENNAI, MARCH 23. Close on the heels of the memorable triumph against Pakistan in the Prime Minister's Gold Cup hockey tournament on Tuesday, India has embarked on a well structured programme to keep the tempo alive. The team was disbanded after the Dhaka tournament and will reassemble for a preparatory camp with the goal being the World Cup qualifier at Edinburgh from July 17 to 29 and then the Azlan Shah Trophy in Kuala Lumpur from August 3.

Predictably, the IHF is keen to reap as much as possible from the euphoria consequent to the win against Pakistan in a cup final after the break of six years since the SAF Games at Chennai in 1995.

Team's chief coach, Cedric D'Souza, immensely satisfied with the showing against Pakistan, has left for the United States on a private assignment. He is expected to take charge when the camp resumes in the second week of April.

Interestingly, Cedric was the coach when India defeated Pakistan at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in the SAF Games by a 5-2 margin and also when these teams were deadlocked in a draw at the 1996 Centennial Olympics in Atlanta. The meeting between India and Pakistan under his leadership has again ended in favour of the home team. A pretty interesting record indeed.

New Zealand tour

The IHF has programmed the preparations for the qualifier at Edinburgh that will be preceded by a whistle stop tour of New Zealand where India will play a four-Test series. Although New Zealand is doing its best to enter the World Cup qualifier, planning even to the point of appealing to the Court of Arbitration over the norms used in identifying the teams for the qualifier, the Kiwi officials believe that playing India would immensely benefit both the teams, if New Zealand makes it.

According to the present itinerary, India will arrive in Dunedin on June 14 and play the first Test on June 16. The second Test will be at Ashburton on June 18, the third in Wellington on June 21 and the fourth in Auckland on June 23. A friendly fixture with the New Zealand-based Indians is also scheduled in Auckland on June 24.

The IHF is also striving to include a few Tests against Australia on way to the New Zealand but the at the moment nothing has been confirmed. However, the IHF secretary, Mr. K. Jothikumaran, has sent invitations to Holland, Australia and South Korea to play a series of matches in India before they proceed to Lahore for the Champions Trophy scheduled from November 3 to 10.

Although there is no official confirmation as yet from any of these teams, there is hope that Australia may accept the proposal. A few years ago, Holland took advantage of such a programme before going to the Champions Trophy. Holland, defending the cup, will be joined by South Korea, the Olympic silver medallist, Australia, Pakistan (the host), Germany and Britain.

As the host of the first Champions Challenge in New Delhi in December and the Afro-Asian Games earlier, and not to speak of the World Junior Cup at Hobart in October, an enormous spell of activity is ahead for the IHF. The winner of the Champions Challenge is the automatic qualifier for the 2002 edition of the Champions Trophy in Brussels.

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