The Hindu : Sport / Football : Harjinder rues lack of time to prepare team

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Friday, Jun 10, 2005

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Sport - Football

Harjinder rues lack of time to prepare team

Special Correspondent

`I take great pride in playing or coaching the National team. There cannot be any shortcut to success'

KOLKATA: Former international and current coach of the senior Indian football team, Harjinder Singh, was optimistic of the team moving into the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation championship that would serve as the qualifier for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

The 20-member Indian team, leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, on Friday has been clubbed in Group `B' with Guam and Chinese Taipei with two teams from that group set to qualify for the next stage.

"I don't find it difficult in the Indian team beating Guam in the opening game but Chinese Taipei could be a tough outing,'' he told The Hindu as the team members practised for the final time at the Sports Authority of India Eastern Centre, here on Thursday.

"This team's strength is its midfield. It is balanced and has players with brain and vision,'' he said. "This does not mean that the team's attack and defence were weak."

"I tried to mould the given talent into a good unit in just about 55 days. The talent available in the country and the time given to me to prepare a crack outfit was insufficient. But then I have given my best shot and hope for a good result hitherto not attained by any of the previous sides,'' he opined.

The former Indian captain was also unhappy with the way the All India Football Federation (AIFF) addressed the problems in women's football.He rued the lack of will on the part of the AIFF to develop the game. "Appointing coaches on a short term basis should stop and a long term view should be taken. For example, I did not even watch the last National championship. I was given a set of players and asked to train it. I take great pride in playing or coaching the National team. There cannot be any shortcut to success,'' he pointed out.

Harjinder's first priority is to take the team within the top six so that it could qualify for the Asian Games. "To make it doubly sure, we need to reach the semifinals,'' he said.

He felt that most of the current team members would be retiring soon and called for immediate attention to develop the junior talent in the country. "It's time we competed in international arena and not just participated,'' he signed off.

The squad: Robita Devi, Thabal Devi, Ronibala Devi, Tababi Devi, Rebika Devi, Ranjita Devi, Romi Devi, Thoi Devi, Lal Bhromoi, Geetarani Devi, Rani Devi, O. Bembem Devi and Bala Devi (all Manipur), Shraddhanjali Samantaray (capt.) and Pinky Mamsal (both Orissa), Sujata Kar and Enakshi Biswas (both Bengal), Ansa Kumari and Madhu Kumari (both Bihar) and Jagdeep Kaur (Punjab).

Chief coach: Harjinder Singh. Assistant coaches: Shukla Dutta and Choaba Devi.

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