The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Sandeep Singh gets a pat from Charlesworth

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Sandeep Singh gets a pat from Charlesworth

Special Correspondent

Sandeep says he was waiting for a chance
Bansal feels the team can develop into a good side

— Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

WELL DONE: Suresh Kalmadi congratulating Sandeep Singh, top-scorer in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament.

NEW DELHI: The radiant face of Sandeep Singh reflected the newfound joy and confidence that marked the Indian hockey team’s silver-winning performance at the just-concluded Azlan Shah tournament at Ipoh, Malaysia, where it lost 1-2 to Argentina in the final.

Sharing the glory with his teammates at a felicitation function organised by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday, Sandeep, who made a huge impact on the tournament with his drag-flick skills, said, “I gained by playing the domestic circuit.”

Sandeep said that he had done well in domestic hockey and was just waiting for an opportunity. “It was nice to play the entire duration and not just fill in for someone. I am glad that my drag-flick worked. I still need to work on its timing and accuracy.”

Sandeep, who was the top-scorer at Ipoh with nine goals, came in for praise from none other than Ric Charlesworth, the technical advisor of the team. “I have known Sandeep as a drag-flicker; he impressed me in this tournament as a defender. For me he was the find of the tournament as a defender,” Charlesworth said.

The IOA President, Suresh Kalmadi, who felicitated some members of the team, termed it a “commendable performance”. As he noted, the next target of the team would be the 2010 World Cup and also qualification for the 2012 Olympics.

The IOA President announced that efforts would be made to restart the National championship next.

Note of caution

Welcoming the performance of the team, Ajit Pal Singh, who was captain of the 1975 World Cup-winning team, struck a note of caution. “We need to guard against complacency and a false sense of achievement. It was wonderful to see a young team perform so well against some seasoned opponents but then it is just the beginning.”

Zafar Iqbal, also a selector, lauded the effort of the young team. “It was a raw team under a lot of pressure. But what I liked most about the players was the way they handled the situation and showed that they were mentally very strong.”

In coach A.K. Bansal’s opinion, this was a team that could develop into a good side.

“The tournament was a good exposure for the players who will compete in the junior Asia Cup. The turning point was the win against Pakistan,” the coach said.

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