Kaushik laments slow progress

Bangalore: Back to square one? National coach MK Kaushik dropped enough hints here on Monday as the second women’s hockey camp ended up as another exercise in ironing out old flaws.

“There is little qualitative improvement in the girls ever since I left the national team in 2006,’’ Kaushik told TOI on the final day of the camp. “The progress in every sphere has been slow, mistakes still prevail in technique and tactics. Overall, the attitude too hasn’t changed.’’ Kaushik, who joined the camp on September 25, is disappointed that he couldn’t make much headway thanks to the absence of an equipped videographer and a video analyst.

“While I wouldn’t blame the girls fully for what has transpired in the last two years, I expected the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF) to be a lot more responsive to my demands. The videographer and the analyst would have helped me show the girls where their faults lay. The mistakes are so very Indian, something you will not find in international matches. They can be highlighted and the changes brought about only through the help of video,’’ he said.

However, he hoped the third camp, beginning in Bangalore on November 3, would be a lot more fruitful.

“I have recommended the names of new coaches and the videographer. Hopefully, the entire support staff is here by the time the next camp begins. I would also want the kits and the dietary supplements in place soon. More importantly, I hope the handful of juniors would join us in November.”

Shivender out of action

Striker Shivender Singh had a nightmarish start to his camp stint, sustained a fracture on the back of his left hand when he attempted to fend off a sharp riser during practice last week. He has been rendered out of action for four weeks. “However he will continue to work on his lower body and keep himself fit for the next camp,” men’s coach in-charge Harendra Singh told TOI.