Bouncy turf, hot weather greet Indians

BANGALORE: A bouncy blue turf and hot, humid weather greeted the Indians on the first day of training ahead of the 21st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament at Ipoh on Tuesday.

The team, which reached the Malaysian city on Monday after a gruelling 22-hour journey from Pune, had its first training session on Tuesday and had to grapple with the bounce that characterises the blue turf. The team had struggled to come to terms with it during the Olympic test event earlier this month.

“The turf is still new, and the ball bounces a fair bit if you don’t pass it properly,” chief coach Michael Nobbs said. “This is just the characteristic of a new turf. But it is a better surface and isn’t slippery. It’s just a matter of getting used to the colour. We will train on the second pitch tomorrow which is green and then start the day after.”

However, the team is in ‘good spirits’, according to Nobbs. “The boys are all in good spirits and good health. They have been told to drink enough water to make sure they keep there fluid levels up as this will be a problem with the weather so hot.”

The Indian team will be led by goalkeeper Bharat Chetri.

India will open their campaign against New Zealand on May 24 followed by matches against Korea (May 25), Great Britain (May 27), Malaysia (May 28), Argentina (May 30) and Pakistan (May 31). The tournament runs until June 3.

India have won the title on five occasions earlier – in 1985, 1991, 1995, 2009 and 2010.