Chennai : The freak injury to Sandeep Singh is unfortunate and tragic. Whatever penalty imposed on the inspector for his misdemeanour of keeping an unlocked pistol, it will not in anyway compensate the setback.

It is difficult however, to comprehend the panic response from the administration. True, Sandeep's absence will be felt in penalty corners. The 21-year-old is acquiring reputation as a top class drag flicker. But the IHF should accept the unfortunate development as a challenge and counter it rather than press the panic button.

Shortlisting three players — Jugraj Singh, Raghunath and Bikramjit Singh — as substitute is a flawed idea. First, the move makes it clear the selection committee, which met on August 17, did not have a list of substitutes.

Secondly, how has Jugraj Singh, who was injured in a nasty accident and is staging a comeback, come into the reckoning? If the Punjab youngster, who enjoyed an enviable record till the car crash on September 3, 2003, is good enough to figure in a World Cup, then he should have been among the 60-odd group that participated in the Independence Cup tournament.

Surprising choice

Pushing Jugraj Singh will be a disaster. The coaches are sure he needs more time to get into his striking rhythm. Equally surprising is the choice of junior Bikramjit Singh. He might have scored a few from drag flicks in the four-day Chennai event, but he is too raw and immature.

The choice has to be Raghunath, a trained flicker. At the moment, this well built full-back is doing pretty well in the South Asian Games at Colombo.

One from among the three will be picked when the team is decided at Cologne before the World Cup. This system of naming key player(s) in an alien setting is becoming a regular feature. Four years ago, the team was picked at Kuala Lumpur from among 21 and the consequences were disastrous.

It was the same story before the Olympics. The team was chosen at Dusseldorf amidst controversy, with the German coach Gerhard Rach taking over from Rajinder Singh (Sr) who was sacked. The results are too fresh to bear reiteration.

The setback forces the chief coach Baskaran to re-design his plans. So, pushing for a replacement selection till the deadline is bound to unsettle whatever alternatives he may be contemplating to fill the void.

Best course

Looking at the issue from various angles, it is clear that there is no need to create a competition among three more probables and keeping everyone guessing. The best course left is to name Raghunath straightaway and put an end to the suspense. The coach is the best judge and the decision is best left to him.

One heartening factor is that both the full-backs, Dilip Tirkey and Kanwalpreet Singh, have a decent record with the penalty corners. The coach has been thoughtful enough to train Arjun Halappa also as a drag flicker. There is also scope for indirect conversions and playing set pieces. The players must perfect these systems with little more imagination and ingenuity from out of the compulsions they face now.

For Sandeep, the response received from every section only underscores his popularity. Age is on his side, and, if medical reports are to be accepted, he will pick up the stick in a few months. Remember, the Indians won the Asia Cup when Jugraj was lying in a Delhi hospital. Will the team dedicate a medal too for Sandeep?

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