Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

HOCKEY

Zeal does it

PHOTO : NAGARA GOPAL

Thinking heads Hockey team coach A.K.Bansal shares his plans with with assistant coaches

For no fault of theirs, the support staff, complementing the efforts of the chief coach of any national team other than cricket rarely get the compliments they truly deserve.

The sports scientist, the physio or even the assistant coach are clearly the unsung heroes. Yet, the fact that they show remarkable commitment because of the sheer passion with which they take up the assignment is one of the significant factors which sees a national team get going.

And, the trio of assistant coach Rajesh Chauhan, 43-year-old Dr Pradeep Dutta (sports scientist) and Srikanth of Chennai (physio) is no different given the unbridled zeal they display in being the support cast to chief coach A.K. Bansal of the Indian hockey team participating in the Junior Asia Cup championship for men at Gachibowli Complex.

Dr Dutta happens to be the only Indian to be on the elite coaches panel of the Asian Football Confederation. He holds the AFC ’A’ licence and just returned from Iran after conducting AFC certificate courses for the coaches in Iran. More than that, he also happens to be a former Combined Universities hockey player besides being a masters graduate in sports coaching. Effectively, he is now playing a triple role to help the cause of Bansal and his assistant Rajesh Chauhan.

“The biggest motivating factor for us is to see the team on the victory podium in the Junior World Cup. And nothing else might satisfy us. With that objective, we are all working as a unit to supplement each other’s efforts,” Dr Dutta remarked while reminding that he has a 20-year-long association with Bansal. “That itself is a major plus for me,” he added. What exactly is his role? “We look at each player’s capabilities from different perspectives and suitably prepare the training programme. These are the results of an in-depth study of the endurance levels, motorability tests and the skills of the players in a particular position,” pointed out Dr Dutta.

Part of the efforts are the frequent video classes for all the players to get a feel of the programme and to make an honest assessment for themselves about where they stand and how to keep improving their fitness levels.

V.V.S

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail