The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Indian team gears up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 05, 2006

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Indian team gears up

Chennai: The 18-member Indian team for the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament to be held at Kuala Lumpur from June 18 to 25 is going through a tough training schedule at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from June 2. The team is expected to leave for Kuala Lumpur on June 11, and will play a few matches against New Zealand before taking on Australia, the Olympic champion, in the opening match on June 18.

Exuding confidence and happiness that everything was progressing according to programme, the chief coach, V. Baskaran, commended the enthusiasm of the players and the benefits accrued from the couple of matches they played with the local combinations here.

Too early to talk

Reacting to the draw for the World Cup to be held at Monchangladbach (Germany) from September 6 to 17, Baskaran conceded that it would be absurd to talk about it as tough or easy.

" At the World Cup level every team is as good as the other and only the best 12 have qualified for the event. Personally, I feel the groupings are similar to that of 1998 at Utretcht where we played Germany, Holland and South Korea."

Baskaran felt the forthcoming Azlan Shah event should give the team a pep since seven of the eight teams in the tournament will be in action at Monchangladbach.

Meanwhile, the FIH has announced the pools for the World Cup placing India in B along with the defending champion, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, South Africa and England. The Olympics champion Australia takes the pride of place in Pool A followed by Spain, Pakistan, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan. — Hockey Correspondent

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