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15.5.2010

Sardar Singh player of the tournament

Haryana Hurricane Sardar Singh earned a huge recognition in his budding hockey career today when he was adjudged the Best Player of the 19th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament. Two others, Arjun Halapa and Gurbaj Singh, were among the Azlan Shah Eleven, selected by seven coaches of the participating teams, hockey consultant Paul Lissek and a representative from the organizing side.

Sardar Singh relished the role of a defender here, keeping the marauding forwards of Australia and Pakistan in check in particular.

Arjun has been pivotal par excellence, and got the knack of producing penalty corners whenever the team needed the most. He excelled in this role, for instance, against Egypt in the second half when India almost struggled to break their citadel. It was fitting his services, which normally go unnoticed, .found a place in the new hall of fame.

Gurbaj has been going steady ever since he made his debut in the last Asian Games. He showed the game changing abilities in almost all the big tournaments, and it was not surprise he is again on top form.

The team today was eager to play the final, worked hard to be there. But the heavy rains spoilt the mood.

Sardar Singh’s luck with the Azlan continued this year as well. He was the captain when India started the final spree in 2008. A year before the scored the only goal in the bronze medal match against Korea.

This honour today is therefore all the more a fitting reward for his consistency.

AZLAN SHAH CUP FINAL WASHED OUT, INDIA AND KOREA DECLARED JOINT WINNERS

Tit Bits Here and There

Vidhya Stokes, Hockey India president, who was here for a day said that the election is not possible in May. “May be in June”, she said. I don’t think it’s a well thought out view, as we all know what will change in a month’s time in our homeland.

The other day Asian Hockey Federation convened a press meet. There were less journalists than number of people on the dais. Hardly 6 or 7 reporters were there including three who attended the previous day AHF meeting essence of which was supposed to be briefed here !

The briefing went on and on. According to them all is well, Asian hockey is developing. I asked is there any moves to improve communication among the Asian hockey nations. I was, in turn, asked what problem I have. Nothing personal gentlemen; the problem is language in leading women hockey nations like China, Korea and Japan. Recently India had a series against China and Japan, could we able to get any communication that time? People pretend everything is fine, it is at least not so for everybody. Of course, I asked one question, which I felt genuine, one to become a bad boy of everybody. It is ok with me.

Since last three years I think AHF is selecting best players, and it is kept in wraps, printing it only in their quarterly bulletin. In this era of easy communication, can’t the AHF e-mail PDF of it to writing community. P. Alagendra, kingpin of the AHF for as long as you know, says they can’t. “Because, for example, press is against Bangladesh, they don’t want direct communication to press. We have decided to communicate only with the national bodies, not directly to press”.

If this view is correct, then I feel the whole media policy of FIH is flawed, the poor fellows always keep us informed.

I did not report much on the AHF decisions because they are hardly implemented. Commented one journo in the press box: “Had AHF implemented all its decisions made public, Asia should be doing better than Europe! Well said.

One information that the AHF did not part with was, finalizing all 70 officials for the Asian Games, the full quota of 70 people!

Yesterday Pakistan lost to Korea, the vocal among those who castigated the Irish umpire who gave a stroke in favour of Korea is, not just the aggrieved Pakistanis, but the Australians. Charlesworth was shouting all the time, and was visibly agitated, furious, came rushing to me to say this is not fair. Australians are facing poetic justice here. They have so much to complain about umpiring. Losing sides always do it, we have done it decades together.

Another one commented: “Charlesworth is FIH master coach, he should be seen setting standards not like this”

Yesterday, Irish umpires warren McCully flashed a green, then yellow and then red card all in the same minute to Pak captain Imran Md. when he agitated against his stroke award to Korea. Thee minutes late he flashed another red to Shahzad Aamir. Last year there was no red card issued. However, Aamir’s red card was rescinded and could play the team’s last match.

Regarding Pakistan complaint of bad umpiring in their match against Australia, one of the umpires said, “Pak was behind 1-4 before coming back to 5-5 in second half, that time the umpire was good, he became bad suddenly for not giving a stroke. Well said.

Tit Bits Here and There

Bharat Chetri sports a stud in his left year. Anything special, anything lucky? I asked him. “You don’t know? Everybody in Bangalore wear like this”, he replied.

There is a main gate to enter Azlan Shah Stadium here, which is always locked. As happens everywhere, there is a small mesh way a bit far off from this which public normally uses. I asked why you make a beautiful gate and then keep it under lock and key all the time. One of the officials replied, “That gate will be opened only when King High Highness comes”. This stadium named after the Highness really means it!

Pakistan manager Kwaja Junaid is a good communicator and has good PR sense as well. He spotted Chinese coach after his turn of press conference, and hugged him and said, “This is also my team”. Kwaja coached Chinese team about a couple of years in the past.

Indian goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Bharat Chetri made all the scorers dance before them on the turf with good performances, but it was their turn to dance, virtually, the other day. The duo were on stage to dance in the official dinner, and they are reasonably professional there also.

When asked about recall of some former players, Pak manager Kwaja said, “We are testing here, they are rusting there”.

Hockey India’s President Vidhya Stokes was the only lady among the ten dignitaries who were seated on the dais during the official dinner.

One of the Indian coaches here, Harendra Singh, is often spotted with a camera, clicking with relish, it seems he enjoys this.

Most people here predict India-Australia final, and none wants to take risk of predicting after that.

The main gallery of Azlan Shah stadium is afresh with new portraits. They changed old one with recent, Indian team that won the Cup last time is prominently placed. Must be motivating the players all the time they enter the stadium.

One of these days Indian team had an outing in the gymnasium in the same sporting complex where the hockey fields are also there. After strenuous time there, team returns to dressing room to take brief ice bath. Of course, a couple of Indian players always give a cool bye to that cool bath!

14.5.2010

Sansarpur comes alive with Ravi Pal back on the turf

Talking about the vain glory of Sansarpur – this hamlet in Punjab produced good number of players three decades ago – during the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup tournament might strike a jarring note, but there is no escape from it as one sights the Ravi Pal Singh on the Azlan Shah stadium turf.

Sansarpur is a past glory which has no meaning now – comparable only to 8-Olympic gold medals of India feeling — but we know most former Sansarpur Olympians shout from rooftop, they keep the Sansarpur legacy in the news constantly, though this vain glory served no purpose

Because, this village near Jalandhar hardly produced any international player in the last three decades, I repeat last three decades, and the try spell thankfully comes to an end with the induction of Ravi Pal in the team.

Ravi Pal is a Sansarpurian.

Born in this hamlet, Ravi Pal could not have escaped hockey, and once when it stuck then there was no stopping either. Got into the Punjab and Sind Bank Academy in Jalandhar and then had been inducted into their senior team and in the bank rolls, all smooth progress.

However, graduating to national side was not easy, once was considered good enough to be in a Junior World Cup probables list, but the ice wouldn’t break. This was achieved belatedly when his team’s coach Rajinder Singh Jr. became the national coach and he had to go for fresh hand as he was denied junior players for the senior national team.

Ravi Pal then came into the team for the 2005 Mini-World Cup, figured in the Chennai Champions trophy, and the spell came to an end shortly.

Then, after the Chile disaster he was remembered, there was an Australian tour even as Gill’s regime was being dismantled; but he was hardly used in not more than two of the eight matches before again dumped. It was unfair to any player, but in those times coach Carvalho had a field day – he is only coach in the recent history to have full freedom to select his team – and he would never have to explain to anybody why a player who is good enough to be recalled is not good enough to be given chance to play!

After almost a year’s lull, Harendera Singh remembered and recalled for the Argentina test series, only to be dropped for the Punjab Gold Cup, and then once and for all he was not in the scheme of things.

Now Ravi Pal is back, statistically fourth comeback. He is no longer younger, younger only to Arjun Halappa and Bharat Chetri in the team doing duty here.

This must add extra pressure on Ravi Pal to deliver.

If the performance here in Azlan Shah is any yardstick, Ravi Pal certainly deserves good marks, he even came up with a timely goal.

Meanwhile, let me not forget how we started – with a tinge on Sansarpur.

Now we only hope Ravi Pal was selected as the team needed him most, not because two Sansarpurians masquerade as Selectors!

Some observations during the tournament

The probables list was tactically made when the coach Brasa was on leave, and the teams are selected even more tactically what with chamcha Olympians ready to nod anything powers that be wants. Therefore, we are not sure whether coach Brasa gets the players he wants or not.

What am sure is, the likes of Bharat Chetri or Ravi Pal were not recalled based on any recent performance of theirs – simply because there was no platform available to them to that, like Nationals – but were recalled we don’t know on what basis.

Kindly don’t misread my portrayal of the present. I don’t intend to cast aspersions on the competency of Ravi Pal or Bharact Chetri or any other players here, simply because what is their fault in all these?

They are only pawns, as the management selects players to teach someone else some lesson rather than merit.

Some players in the Azlan Shah Cup

Rupinder Pal Singh, the six-footer, is youngest of the family, took up hockey seeing his elder brother playing the game. Faridkot, his hometown, is one of the known hockey centers in Punjab. His interest in hockey got a boost when got selected for the Chadigarh Hockey Academy, where he got training for 3, 4 years before joining a college in Chandigarh. He was called for Singapore 4-Nation (Under – 18) Cup in 2006 but was not selected. He made it to the team next year for the same tournament. He was also in the Bangalore camp preparing for Chile Olympic Qualifier.

He made it to the Junior India side for the Malaysia 8-Nation Cup, was part of the Argentina test series, before earning senior spurs in the 2010 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He is a good defender, useful penalty corner negotiator. He has recently joined Indian Overseas Bank.

Lucknow’s Amit Prabhakar rose from humble background to don the national colours. He made his senior international debut in the 19th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May 2010 that took place after the Delhi World Cup. He was part of the team that won Silver at the South Asian Federation Games 2010, his coach being Olympian Gundeep Kumar. Chief Coach Jose Brasa gave him the break at senior level for the Azlan Shah Cup where he was played in almost all matches as a fullback.

Vikas Pillay, younger brother of senior team star midfielder Vikaram Pillay, is from Pune. He had the opportunity to play in various local tournaments before Coach AK Bansal took him for the Junior World Cup in 2009. With that the hardworking and dynamic midfielder’s career took off. He made his senior international debut in the 19th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May 2010 that took place after the Delhi World Cup. Coach Jose Brasa gave him the break, and was played in almost all matches as a useful play maker. He is playing for Air India in the domestic circuit.

Ravi Pal Singh, a veteran with the top notch domestic team, Punjab and Sindh Bank, is a talented midfielder. Rajinder Singh Jr. inducted him into the national side in 2005, Ravi Pal thus his first international in the Mini-World Cup held in Amsterdam and then Chennai Champions Trophy. And hen he was recalled for the 2008 Australia 4-Nation competition that India played after the Chile Olympic qualifier. He was again recalled now for the Azlan Shah Cup.

15.5.2010: India’s last pool Match Vs Egypt

India in the final: Hat-trick day for India
It’s a hat-trick day for India. Hours after women’s star striker Rani Ramphal scored three goals in the New Zealand first test for India’s victory, defender Dhananjay Mahadik came up with his own to take India to the Sunday Azlan Shah final.

Mahadik’s was the first hattrick of the tournament. It came in the 34th, 40th nd 42nd minutes. His heroism enabled India to maintain its status of defending champions to start with.

With the defeat of Egypt 7-1 India made it to the final of the Azlan Shah Cup third time in a row, another hattrick.

India came back in the second half, scoring six of its seven goals to post a fluent win over Egypt 7-1. After Korea defeated Pakistan 4-2 in a controversial match, its two star teams of Asia who will be vying for the title.

Its third Azlan final in a row for India, winning last year and getting silver in 2008.

It did not appear the Indians in the first half that India are in for a goal blitzkrieg. Stout defending by the Egyptians, coupled with lethargic penalty corner drills almost hid the impending goal reign.

It was India’s sixth penalty off which Dhananjay came up with a high flick to bemuse Mabrouk Mohamed, who was otherwise doing a great job, blocking five other penalty drills. A minute later India went for the lemon time, knowing well the logjam is broken.

Goals came in cascades in second half, a brace by Mahadik is followed by Tushar.

12.5.2010: India’s Match No.5 Vs Malaysia


India loses to Malaysia

As a reversal of fortune, India went down tamely to Malaysia 5-2 to face its first defeat in five matches today in the 19th Azlan Shah Cup. This magnificent win by the hosts opened up the competition further; Malaysia stands a chance to be in the Sunday final. Malaysia will have to play China while India the Egyptians.

Its first time in 17 encounters, India conceded five goals to the hosts in the Azlan history. This is glaring against the fact that India lost to Malaysia only thrice since 1983 when Azlan was put on the board, the fourth one today was the biggest in terms of conceding goals. Earlier in 2005 Azlan, Malaysia had a three-goal margin victory over India.

So elated over the defeat of the famed rivals that the Malaysians even took a victory lap to return the favour to the crowds, which pumped them to the hilt. Usually restraint Sultan Azlan Shah took to the field soon after the match and greeted the players.

Indeed, its big achievement for new coach Stephen’s side, which is coming up reasonably with aggressive style of play as an instrument of success.

Defeatless India today tried various combinations and paid for it. The changes were in positioning of players, even the wingers changed flanks, mostly the two new faces in the team — defenders Rupinder Pal Singh and Amit Prabhakar — guarded the defence. Reliable Dhananjay Mahadik spent much time in the bench.

Malaysian forwards, egged by the sizeable crowd, showed verve in attack, and got the rewards. Some of the goals they scored were after almost drawing all the defenders out of position. The manner the field goals they scored were pleasing to the eyes.

Its Rahim Amin who converted the team’s third Penalty Corner in the 27th minute and then goals came in cascades.

Malaysia led 3-1 at halftime.

“Every team here has come to experiment. We have the cushion to take risks and tried various new things which other teams cannot because they are in need of points. So, we used the chances we have”, said Harendera Singh.

There is a point of agreement with Harendera when he said India had better ball possession and control, as is evident from the fact that India got seven penalty corners.

Penalty corners is again the grey area for this team, and today mostly Rupinder Pal, new comer, got chances to negotiate them. Unfortunately, its Kumar Subramaniam, the rival goalie, who saw off him safely.

Everyone would agree Malaysia’s strength is this goalkeeper.

Amit Prabhakar, in his over-enthusiasm committed some silly mistakes, especially tackling forwards way outside the circle. Its his bad tackle mid way through in the second half that changed the tenor of the match.

India conceded another penalty corner in the same ugly fashion in the second session as well.

India have to essentially now defeat Egypt on Saturday to take its appointed slot for the final.

For each move and scorer names and timing please visit Live Commentary Section of this site.

Young Pakistan enliven the crowd with a valiant comeback

Coming from behind, the young Pakistan side dished out a heartwarming show to draw their match against vulnerable Australia 5-5.

The results was not in the making if the manner by which the Pakistan side had allowed Australia to dictate terms, and post clinical goals. Pakistan trailed 1-3 at half time, and when Christopher Ciriello scored his second goal off the fourth penalty corner within five minutes from the lemon time, it clearly appeared the Pakistanis will bow down, and another drubbing was in the asking.

Thankfully, it was not to be.

To put in the manager Kwaja Junaid’s words, “his young team dispelled the belief that Pakistan plays well only the first half”.

Its actually Imran Md. the captain, who changed the course of the match with a brace of goals in the 58th and 69th minutes, thus making use of both the chances the team got.

Even as the hooter was about to come, Pakistan just made a grand attempt at the goal, the ball just missing the target.

“This is the type of hockey Pakistan should continue to play. Ten goals in the match, my young boys could score five of them against the World’s best defence which augurs well for us”, Junaid explained.

The match also witnessed tempers, definitely Australians are unlikely indisciplined team here.

Umpire Raghu Prasad had to flash two yellow cards simultaneously to Australian defender Ciriello and Rizwan – he stuck Pakistan’s first goal in the first half – three minutes before the hooter, this he did after spending moments to separate both groups from getting physically close to each other.

In the second half, before Pakistan waged successful comeback, it gifted a goal to Aussies, needlessly indulging in short back passes in their own danger zone.

An Australian forward intercepted, passed to circle where captain Grant Schbuert did the rest. This was a rank bad play from the Pakistan side.

However, the comeback was a great one, as Pakistan ran faster in the last 20 minutes, converted both the penalty corners. This aggression did not give any elbow room to hitherto marauding Australians.

Junaid said that he asked the team to go for goals in the second half without bothering about deficits in the scoreboard.

We had no other option than to go for attacking. It worked. My boys will be happy now, he said.

Whatever the strategy, the crowd certainly was a happier one to see so much goals in the scored board.

Last three encounters between Malaysia and India

India and Malaysia are from the same continent, not far off from each other, yet if the past records are any indication, they meet on the turf far and away . They play whatever competitions that Asian Hockey Federation organizes. Yet, in the last three years both teams played each other only thrice, all in the Azlan Shah Cup.

Indian and Malaysia did not meet in the two Asia Cups, which they hosted respectively in 2007 and 2009.

Previous three encounters between Malaysia and India
14th April 2009: India and Malaysia met in the finals of the last Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which India won 3-1. Present manager Harendera Singh was the manager then.

17th May 2008: India and Malaysia met in the semifinals of the 2008 Asia Cup which India won with a slender margin, 2-1. Ajay Kumar Bansal was the coach.

11th may 2007: It was again semifinals, which India lost 1-2, Joaquim Carvalho was the coach.

Tit bits here and there – III

There was missing in the line up here in the Azlan Shah Cup. We are not talking about any national team readying for the match. Its about other thing. On all three sides of the stands, except the VIP and the main one, flags of all countries are hoisted here. The other day the oranizers found to their dismay China and the State flags were found missing from these line up. Were these stolen or just like that. Nobody knows.

Former FIH Committee Chairman Ruth is here, going to conduct clinics for local umpires. He wonders why such important matches like one between Germany and Holland did not attract good crowd in the recent World Cup. He says he saw in television that most of the non-India matches are played against near empty stands. It’s a news to us.

India turned up for practice on Saturday in the evening, only to find heavy rains. Just made some warm up exercises, returned to hotel before time. But one has to thank these rains the climate now is better than what it was in the first two days. It’s still hot though.

The media room here is compact, can chair 15, closed enclosure. Only reporters are allowed here, visual and photo media persons can sit at the top row of main gallery or in the press brief room. Despite air-coned, two pedestal fans had to be brought in to make the room comfortable. You can see often many people come for brief breaks.

Most of the matches sultan Azlan Shah is present, teams always come to him and make a respectable bow before the matches, he stands up and reciprocate. India did not do it, but on Tuesday they did. It seems someone reminded it.

Asian Hockey Federation brings out quarterly bulletin, November and March issues were distributed here.

To attract crowd, organizers distribute coupons to spectators. We in the media also got one each. The draw was taken on Tuesday, winner got one air-Asia ticket, there are other prizes as well.

In general, Malaysia matches attract maximum crowds, almost full stands. As I saw in 2008, India-Pakistan matches don’t attract any special crowd here. Of course there were some fans holding Pakistan flag, India was not there, though organizers brought school children dedicated to each team.

Charlesworth don’t sit on the team bench, Junior coach Graham Reid instead. He and German Paul Lissek sit together in the main gallery, taking notes and discussing. The other day Charlesworth was shouting at umpires for not giving stroke against India, but no way umpire could have heard him.

The Korean coach, former depender, knows English pretty well, and relishes his press conferences, but the best quotes come from Pakistan manager Junaid. After elevator quote, the other day he said, “We are testing here, while senior players are rusting there (Pak)”.

Half a dozen families of Australian players are here, and it is usual as parents accompany tours to cheer up their wards. They are vocal in support, and line up for pep talk after the match, even as the players line up for warm down.

It’s after sometime that Australian team has an Anglo-Indian. Previously it was captain Paul Gaudoin. Defender Christopher in the present team is half Anglo Indian. His grand father played for Mohan Bagan in Kolkata. His father married an Italian and settled in Australia.

Toofani Tushar relishes goals in his fifth Azlan tour

Tushar Khandkar is a winger, link man, striker, all rolled into one, a veritable cocktail that enliven the Indian team, with a telling effect on the rivals. The toofani Tushar, on his fifth Azlan Shah Cup outing here, has been in the thick of things as never before, setting up goals for others, and on ideal conditions, striking on his own.

On Sunday, the Jhansi hero, scored a brace of goals against Australia, and the significance of which can be gauged by the fact that he is only just back on the striking role after being a linkman for long spells including in the Delhi World Cup.

“I play for the country. If coaches assign me linkman role, am ok with it. Now am asked to be in the attack line. It is also fine for me, am in the end enjoying hockey”, this is what the youngster said when asked which is his option, linkman or striker.

“A player’s worth is seeing his team winning, positions not important”

Tushar might be modest, moderate, mild and mature in his self-assessment, but the goings on here prove where he excels – scoring goals. It is therefore upto us tojudge where he suits the best for the team.

On Sunday, he almost played full time, which is very high play-time in the team which relies on frequent substitutions to keep the legs afresh, and strike to give everybody a feel of the team with equal opportunity to be on the turf.

His role in the first half when India sprung a surprise with three goals was immense. From the right flank he sent a couple of crosses which should have been lapped up by others, especially Sarwanjit Singh, who is on his third Azlan Shah outing, not a fresher anymore, but was found wanting to avail those balls served on platter.

After one such cross, agile Tushar switched sides, waited with a hawkish eye for rebound and when got it he was alert enough to deflect the ball into the net, all within split second. This was how India broke the Aussie defence in the 19th minute, for India’s first goal and then the floodgates opened.

His second goal was even more entertaining. “I give full credit to Shivender Singh for the second goals who was very fast, and thoroughly opportunistic, its who exchanged passes in the circle with Ravi Pal first and then with me”.

This third Indian goal gave India a dream halftime break, for the watchers its nostalgic memory of our teams of 50s and 60s, who used to score goals in dozens against Aussies.

This victory on Australia is all the more sweet and memorable for Tushar for the simple reason that he made his senior international debut in the Australian tour seven summers ago. Incidentally, India defeated Australia in the Sydney finals, which is last time India won Australia.

It took seven years for India to repeat another win, and it is a nice feeling for Tushar to be part of these two matches.
Tushar being a team man to the core does not take credit for the Superb Sunday

“Sir, what matters is win; we all win or we all lose. People will only say, record will only have, India lost or India won. Winning is important”, says with enormous maturity.

And he doesn’t plant any other view when in person. He minds what he says, and he is wordy wise.

A nephew of Subodh Khandkar of yester years, Tushar fought with his parents to play hockey, and is a rare player who won all age-group Asia Cups.

In fact, it took more than any others to get the senior national colours and his progress is gradual, an indication he does not have any god fathers.

It makes his hockey career all the more interesting, as he rose on the strength of merit, not because of regional labels.

Tushar recalled his Azlan sojourns, and feels bad for the first one.

“I was very sad because we finished seventh in a field of seventh in 2004 and then next year we could end only at fifth. 2006 was a tough Azlan outing as all the teams were in full strength since the World Cup was in the offing”.

Tushar almost played under all coaches, it was Harendera in 2004 and 2009, Rajinder Jr in 2005, V. Baskaran in 2006 and the list goes on.

Tushar’s persona came in ample light when he was asked whether World Cup match where Australia decimated India (2-5) was in the mind today before the match, he simply said, “I don’t carry past matches in the mind, so also every player. Win or lose that match is over, we are ready for the another one”.

This state of his mind took where Tushar is today, and perhaps to many more laurels in future.

Why Indian victory over Australia is a creditable one?

When in the early 90s when Ric Charlesworth was Women’s Chief Coach of Australia, it was the under-rated Indian women team that broke their continuous victory they made in the previous three years. At Delhi’s Shivaji Stadium, Kaushik’s girls, led by Rajbir Kaur, stuck a goal in the last of three tests to make the great win (1-0).

Manjinder Kaur, now settled in life in Jalandhar, might not have understood the significance of that solitary goal that jolted the winning streak of Ric’s Angels, which indeed it is.

That was an encore performance, a sort of which is now being enacted by men in distant Ipoh here in Malaysia.

Same Charlesworth is here, still basking the glory of giving his country the first World Cup in two decades.

He must have got a minor jolt (along with another world’s best coach, Paul Lissek, who is assisting him here) when India built up a three nil half time score. And then when two quick goals were stuck by his team, which he is remote-controlling from main stands – Grahm Reid is the man who sits on the bench as coach — he would have even thought of possible reverse victory.

That it did not happen is the message that the Indian team have sent out today.

India went on to score a goal and then added one more, thus had the luxury of conceding another one to emerge the winners.

That India can build up three goals without giving one is a positive thing, and then the lead was protected for a win is even better positive development for the team, which is slowly improving on all aspects under the guidance of chief coach Jose Brasa.

If the team captain is Grant Schubert, who made senior grade along with Tushar Khandkar in the 2003 Australia four nation, this team cannot be young or second stream, and it has in it few others whom we saw in Delhi in action.

The Indian lead and the frustration of Aussie team that was clearly unable to dominate the proceedings which they are used to quite often, led to a strange situation today.

I haven’t seen an Australian team quarrelling on anything as they did today, starting mid way from the second half.

At least four times, Australian players got into quarrels, creating bad blood, type of things that would have attracted severe punishment if it is from the any other Asian side. At least thrice a defender, who is of Indian origin, invited trouble by arguing with umpires and Indian players inside the circle.

The Australians were thus frustrating side, and it told on their behaviour, they were also totally disappointed with some of the umpiring rulings, as we often complain.

So uncharacteristic was their on field attitude that prompts one to think they are not prepared to lose to the Indians.

Yes, whether senior or mixed team, do Australia hardly lose to India and is almost victory is there for their asking.

Today, like the previous days, all the four debutants Rupinder Pal, Amit Prabhakar, Vikas Pillay and Mandeep Antil were adequately used.

If you closely look at the Indian team, Danish Mujtaba and PR Sreejesh, who was the goalie today, are no veterans despite having a great chance to be in the last World Cup.

Therefore, when you almost have six players who are as young as any Australians side here, one cannot say the match was not between nationals teams.

This win must have given enormous confidence for the team which it need in doses.

This win therefore is creditable one, more so when the half time score read like vintage Indian teams.

India-Australia encounters in the recent past

2.3.2010: India and Australia met in the Delhi World Cup, which Australia won 5-2.
3.5.2008: India and Australia met in the Darwin 4-Nation Cup in the league which India lost by 0-1.
25.4.2008: India and Australia met in the Perth 4-Nation Cup in the league which was drawn 2-2.
5.5.2007: India and Australia met in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup opener in Ipoh which Australia won 1-0.v
18.6.2006: India and Australia met in the Azlan Shah Cup league in Kuala Lumpur which India lost 1-4.

Bharat Chetri proves his class, yet again

There are some players in Indiawho have time and again proved their worth, only to be discarded.

Like Len Aiyappa in the recent past.

Now, Bharat Chetri is on the same genre.

Perhaps in the recent times was no player in the national team so often dropped as he was subjected to – and equally thought of recalling at the slightest of crisis.

It is not known why he is always dropped before major tournaments, and then why he is recalled with matching frequency.
v
For a player who made his senior international debut way back nine years ago, only two developments should have been possible – in normal course. Fade into oblivion losing out to better talents. Or be the number one goalkeeper of India.

Bharat Chetri was allowed to be neither.

He was after a long break recalled for the 2007 Azlan Shah Cup by the then national chief coach Joaquim Carvalho. He was however not played till India lost the semis. He got his turn for the bronze match, that was against Korea. He played a marvelous game, none would have believed it is his first match in the tournament; he anchored India for the bronze.

But he was not in the 2007 Asia Cup, lost so many fortunes that went with it.

Came back for a while, before forgotten.

One can go on listing such instances.

He is now back in Malaysia where till recently he played for a Club.

India’s victory over Korea on Wednesday proved this old horse really a horse for the race.

Korea got ten penalty corners, more than that innumerable goal bearing shots at goal. There were Korean solos, combined moves, but this man was not simply moved.

He allowed the balls to cross over the backline in tense situation, and it was mark of a seasoned goalie.

This gentleman goalie never opens mouth, never says some wrong is committed on him and stuff like that. He only smiles at missiles like questions.

Perhaps that maturity and the smile, the both which has become his hallmark, that seems to keeps him going in Indian hockey, where you are remembered when someone wants to punish someone else.

Whether Bharat is now in the team for need of the country, or somebody’s urge to remind somebody that we had have better stuff.

Whatever, this man proved again he is still a force to reckon with.

Shivender looks forward to revenge match against Australia

Australians themselves have nothing to do with it, but they were the indirect beneficiary.
Shivender now looks forward to the Australian match tomorrow to turn the table, here in the Azlan Shah Cup to take a revenge of sort, to satisfy personally.

Shivender Singh, India’s livewire forward, who just scored India’s first goal in the Delhi World Cup – that was all the more against arch rivals Pakistan — was undeservedly faced suspension for two matches, not from the umpires, not out of any complaint by the rival team, but out of urgency of Tournament Director Ken Reid to send right message to all participating teams.

After he anchored India’s fluent and heartwarming 4-1 win over Pakistan, the emerging striker’s urge to go up and up, and showcase his skills before the home audience was curtailed by the unwarranted suspension of someone else’s, what to say, sadism?.

Just after getting Man of the Match award here today, with spectacular goal that gave India an applaudable victory over Korea (3-2), he opened up.

“Certainly, I am excited to play against Australia tomorrow. I failed to face them in Delhi which I was eager then. If I can contribute to the team’s success tomorrow, I will be more than satisfied, not just because that will give us full point, but also we can feel we are equally good, not a bad side to go down 2-5 which so happened in Delhi”, he said.

Just moments after missing a sitter, Shivender showed class of his persona in today’s match against Korea, latching on to a pass from Danish Mujtaba, he gave a gentle scoop to give India the third goal, which turned out to be the match winner in the end. He was rightly declared Man of the Match.

Is it then emotion adequate to take on a side like Australia”. This was posed to him.

“Australia is an attacking side, they relish to attack, so also we. We have been improving here, and if the manner with which we attacked today against Korea, we should match the Australians tomorrow, and then if we use our chances as we did today, the chances of us winning tomorrow is well within us”, he elaborated.

Another reason for Shivender’s optimism is, improving penalty corner defence of the team. “We are not scoring through penalty corners, ok, but we are also not allowing many scored against us. Australia is also not converting any better. Against Egypt they got many but struggled to make use of them. Considering everything, am in a happy frame of mind insofar as tomorrow’s match is concerned”, Shivender said.

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Last five encounters of India and South Korea

4th May 2008: India and South Korea met at Darwin the third place decider. Despite a brace of goals from V. Raghunath, India lost the match in a fighting score of 3-4

30.4.2008: India and South Korea met at Darwin in the 4-nation opener on a dull note. Shivender and Raghunath scored for the Indian side that lost the match one-sideld at 2-5.

24th April 2008: India and South Korea met in the opener fo the Perth 4-Nation Cup. Korea built up three goals in first 25 minutes and then went on to win comfortably at 1-4.

9h September 2007: India and South Korea met in the final of the Asia Cup, where India posted its biggest victory at 2-7. India thus successfully retained the Asia Cup that it won at Kuala Lumpur four years ago. Ignace, Shivender, Rajpal and Prabhjot were among the scorers in the home victory.

3rd September 2007: India and South Korea met in the league of the Asia Cup in Chennai, where India came out colourfully with a narrow score of 3-2, the winning goal coming from the blade of Prabhjot Singh.

“My success elevator is not working right now, but it will”, says Pakistan manager Kwaja Junaid.

Attributing inexperience to his team’s loss to India, Pakistan manager Olympian Kwaja Junaid said that at present his success elevator is not working and it will certainly work within a few months time.

Kwaja was speaking to media after India defeated Pakistan 4-2 in the league match of the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia.

“Everyone in my country wants to win against India. But India has brought a very experienced senior side, unlike us. There are seven new comers in my team. You can just look at them, they are so young, even I feel there is need for them to undergo a strength training regime. Contrarily, India brought almost the same World Cup team, there are players there with 200, 250 match experience individually”.

“One has to understand, we are in the process of rebuilding, and the Indians are the defending champions, a senior side”, he explained.

“Yes, our success elevator is not working, but it will work in the days to come, we after all focus on Asian Games and Commonwealth Games”, he said.

“Our players are good at counter attacks, as we had to go for counter attacks today after falling behind 1-3 midway through in the second half. But our defence is not good, the habit of ball watching is there, and it is due to inexperience.

“Ball watching is a big problem we are facing now, its mostly habit of debutants”, he reasoned.

“Insofar as our forwards are concerned they are playing as per plan, am happy about it”.

Satisfied with the whatever the boys dished out in the last two matches, the veteran said, “This is not the end, we have to play more matches here and then we have Asian Games and Commonwealth Games this, and will only improve from here on”.

This match is not the end of the road, anyway”, he signed off with a note of optimism.

7.5.2010: India’s Match 2 Vs Pakistan

India repeats a Delhi encore here in Ipoh

India posted a fluent 4-2 win over arch rivals Pakistan here in the league match of the Azlan Shah Cup.

Experienced Indian side overcame the heavy ground to outwit young Pakistan side, with goals coming in regular interval.

Sardar Singh bounced on to a rebound off goalie Imran Shah to given India the much needed lead in the 26th minute penalty corner, only to see it is cancelled out early in the second half.

In the 4th minute, Mandeep Antil, the youngster, struck after two other shots did not take the ball to the intended place.

The young Pakistan side was not giving up, made counter attacks but in the process gave much leeway to Indian forwards to relish.

In that environ came those three minutes in the second half, in which India scored a brace, both peach of goals.

The ultimate Man of the Match Gurbaj Singh scored on his own effort. It was his own midfield pass that saw the ball in the circle, and then when goalie took the shot of a fellow forward, Gurbaj came from no where to spot, collect and hit the ball straight into the cage even as he was falling.

The great effort expectedly gladdened the crowd who braved the rain to be here to cheer the team.

By now trailing 3-1, Pakistan was a tired side, as their defence started shaking.

Running parallel, Shivender and Tushar exchanged the ball before the latter found himself alone with the ball in the circle only to beat the goalie, which he did with consummate easiness, then threw his hands open.

Pakistan did manage to score a goal off Kashif Ali, who played Junior Asia Cup at Hyderabad in 2008.

India, who appeared to relax then woke up and got even two penalty corners, the last one coming as the hooter, but the scoreboard remained unmoved.

Tomorrow is rest day, India will take on Korea day after tomorrow in its third match.

Last Five Encounters of India and Pakistan

28th Feb 2010: India and Pakistan famously met in the Delhi World Cup, which India won handsomely at a flattering score of 4-1, Sandeep Singh scoring a brace, and Prabhjot Singh and Shivendra Singh netting goal a piece. While it is veteran Sohail Abbas who scored a consolation goal for the losing rival. Jose Brasa extracted the Salta revenge

12th December 2009: India and Pakistan met in the Salta Champions Challenge Cup – 1
where the former was demolished by the skill of Pakistanis, and in particular the scoring prowess of Rehan Butt who struck a hattrick. This was first match under Jose Brasa.

10th May 2009: India and Pakistan met in the Asia Cup opener in the seashore city of Kuantan in Malaysia. Sohail abbas posted the winner, his only goal in the tournament, this goal effectively sealed India from the semifinal race.

11th April 2009: India and Pakistan met in the 18th Azlan Shah Cup league, India won the match 2-1, Sandeep Singh dominating the scoring act of the Indians who went on to win the title. Harendera was the coach.

15th May 2008: India and Pakistan met in the 17th Azlan Shah Cup. India, after having last first two matches, made a match of it with a narrow 2-1 win. Coach Bansal’s team went on to reach the final couple of days later.

Azlan Tit Bits: Here and there – II

Clock stopped working in the third match, which was indeed watched by full crowd. It stuck at 19.28 in the second half. Clock not working is a universal phenomenon it looks.

First time in the Azlan Shah competition, a rock band was invited to entertain the crowd. The band performed Famous rock star of Malaysia Rock Queen Ella was there for all the matches. The young starlet also visited the tiny media room in the half time. Each of us got a photo ops with the shining star.

Crowd was not good for India-China match, the stands swelled only for the third match, which was between Pakistan and Malaysia. The home must have returned happily as Malaysia held on the 3-1 lead for most part of the match.

Malaysia is preparing for the 2013 Junior World Cup very seriously. They have a Project 2013 in operation. All these boys were here for four, five days before the tournament started, and played a match against Korea, Australia and India. Only against India they could score a goal. Dr. Saju Joseph, who was with the men’s team for the 2004 Olympics is attached with the Project 2013 team. He says the young team missed a stroke, otherwise the scored would have been 3-2.

Pakistan manager Kwaja Md. Junaid says he has completed his biography, it may hit the stands anytime. It seems that in Pakistan, with the fortunes of the national team going down each passing day, the former greats have turned nostalgic, and are in a hurry to come out with their autobiographies. Only recently Islahuddin Siddiqui published his own, “Dash through my life’.

Jag is the Liaison officer for Indian team. He is a former Perak State coach. Jag, his full name Jagdeesan, is a Ceylonist, and is happy to be with the Indian team again. He was doing the same job last year also. They are nice guys, he said about Indian team.

Dot on first day the organizers came out with an official Souvenir Program. It is nicely, and differently done, far better in content and production than what the FIH has brought out for the last World Cup. This publication has photos of Sultan Azlan Shah as a hockey player when he represented his State team. Nice to see a vintage image where the present King of the State is holding a hockey stick and kneeling in the front row in a team shot. In 2007, the Souvenirs were taken back from us because the flag of India and Pakistan inter-changed, and they came to know of it after good number of copies were already circulated. No hiccups this time.

FIRST DAY HIGHLIGHTS

Two out of three matches of the first day ended in draws. The teams trailing behind scored the equalizer in the last 20 seconds, as such the draws were exciting encounters. Only Korea scored an outright win, 6-0 against Egypt.

Three matches produced 14 goals, half of them through penalty corner conversion, the rest field goals.

No stroke was given in the opening day.

India-China match saw just one card, Sun Zhixin getting it a minute before the hooter. A green card each was issued in the Korea and Egypt opener. The last match of the Day between the hosts and Pakistan had three greens. Fairly a quite day on the turf.

All but Australia were in action in the opening day.

In all the three matches witnessed 20 penalty corners, out of which only five were converted, Korea and Malaysia two each, and Pakistan one.

Despite getting five penalty corners as that of Korea, India did not make use of any of them.

First time Man of the Match awards have been introduced. Korea, China and Malaysia got these awardees.

Azlan tit bits: Here and there – I

First person you talk to after landing in tournament cities are normally the taxi driver. Most of the times I visited this country, none of them would ever know hockey, on Wednesday it was different. The taxiwallah who fetched me from Ipoh bustand to Fair Park hotel is ‘a sports freak’ as he introduced himself. He says even a sports freak like him does not a major hockey tournament is taking place in his own city, and regrets he comes know of that through a foreigner. “They should advertise, how will we come to know otherwise? A badminton tournament is all over the television and newspapers, I know it is coming up. At the last he asked, is India there, they won it last time. I said yes, and instantly loved him calling himself a sports freak.

The team here has a massauer, Ramkishen, and then Pradeep Dutta returns to senior side after almost a year. He was last seen with the Junior team at Singapore in the Junior World Cup. Physio Shrikant Iyenkar is busy here. Gundeep Kumar and Clarence Lobo are others with the team, besides Chief coach Jose Brasa and coach Harendera Singh.

The teams are as usual put in Impiana hotel, which was till recently called Casuarina Hotel. It belongs to a family member of Sultan Azlan Shah. The Organizing committee and media secretariat all function from here.

It took hardly a couple of minutes to get Media Accreditation here, even the photo you gave is, promptly returned after scanned. Coming after all the horrors of World Cup accreditation, this was a big breather. Only problem here is not everyone is convinced am from India, as one put it, you are always here. I had to tell them I did not come for the last Azlan Shah.

It was almost my curiosity to know who is the manager of Indian team, though I had a gut feeling it could be Anupam Ghulati. If you don’t get manager’s name in the official press releases you can well guess he will be the man for the job. My guess was correct. However, as per the match sheet Harendra is manager which is a right strategic thing to do to keep the coach on the bench. Then what is the role of this gentleman? Your guess is as good as mine.

Raghu Prasad is the Indian umpire here, he must be happy, because he missed his chance to officiate in Delhi World Cup due to high fever. He partnered with Pakistan umpire Zulfiqar Haider in the first match. India – Pakistan bhai bhai.

There was an official welcome Dinner at Impiana hotel, which I missed but before that got a chance to be with the team for about an hour on the ground.

6.5.2010 India Match 1

India draws China 1-1

Sloppy India scored a goal a few seconds before the hooter to salvage a point against China in the opening match of the Azlan Shah Cup here in Ipoh.

Undefined India was struggling throughout in the match after conceding a goal in the 13th minute. Just when 17 seconds remained for the hooter, recalled player Ravi Pal Singh scored the equalizer much to the relief of the whole team.

The Indians are to be blamed for the show, as they missed chances, including five penalty corners.

“We had only one drag flicker in the line up today. Rupinder Pal Sing was rested. We tried different combination which did not work”, reasoned Clarence Lobo who attended post match press conference.

Chinese forward Sun Tianjun scored the first goal in the 13th minutes. China also did not do well in the penalty corner department, wasting all the ones they got.

Chinese dominated the first half, with clever change of positions. In the frontline Sun Tianjun, who was later adjudged as the Man of the Match, combined well with wingers, especially the bald headed, fleet-footed Men Jun to create enormous opportunity for their side.

Initially, goalie PR Sreejesh warded off many close calls, and he oozed confidence, which was broken when the Chinese were able to connect a cross from right.

India, to be fair, tried new faces, and gave them amble time on the field as well.

Mandeep Antil, Amit Prabhakar and Vikas Pillay did not disappoint, giving their best. Tushar, now playiing as a forward unlike the linkman job he did in the recent World Cup combined well in the second half with Shivender, but they missed what looked like a simple goals. On a couple of occasions, either of them were wrongly footed to make use of crosses that came their way.

Midway through the second half India came in a big way with entire team playing in the others half. It paid dividends only at the fag end, when Ravi Pal put it across one for the team.

Arjun Halappa unlikely to play today

Star medio Arjuna Halappa might not play today’s match against China in the opening match of their campaign here in the 19th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Arjun Halappa, second most senior in the team after recalled star Prabodh Tirkey, suffered a small injury at his right foot which is yet to fully recover.

“My fate of playing for the first match will be known only tomorrow when physio Shrikant takes another look in the morning”, he said.

undefined He did not take part in the practice session the team had on Wednesday evening, though he was with the team and doing mild exercises.

Meanwhile talking to stick2hockey.com team’s coach Harendera Singh said that the youngsters will be the focus of the tournament.

“We have got seven matches here, the junior players here will have excellent opportunity to avail it, and we will see how they cooperate with the pressure. We need a quite a lot of youngsters waiting in the bench to fill up the slots at the fag end of the year. We have two tournaments in succession – Asian Games and before that Commonwealth Games – and the services of the juniors, that is the bench strength, is all the more important’, he said.

Amit Prabhakar, lanky Rupinder Pal Singh are the two youngsters in the team. Other youngsters include Danish Mujtaba, Mandep Antil, who was the standby for the last World Cup, and flashy Vikas Pillay.

Amit Prabhkar is from Lucknow, while Rupinder Pal Singh is from Faridkot, a product of Chandigarh hockey.

Danish Mujtaba played the Delhi World Cup, after this the youngster from Uttar Pradesh is getting another shot at big time event here in Malaysia.

These colts are rightly getting a great exposure, and some of them are even excited about it,

We will learn from India, says Chinese coach

China’s new coach Zhuang Xiadong says he will learn from India in the match tomorrow rather than just focusing on winning or losing.

India and China open their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign tomorrow at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium here in Ipoh, Malaysia.

“My team is very young. We lost badly to India at the Champions challenge Cup. Then we watched their matches in the recent World Cup. Their’s is a better side, therefore we will try to learn as much as possible in our game against India tomorrow”, Said Zhuang, who has been coaching the Men’s team for last one year.

India defeated China 4-1 at Santiago Champions Challenge Cup in the league match, which is last time both team met in an international arena.

“That was a one-sided match, we were then focusing on World Cup Qualifier, and the result was bad for us”, conceded the new Chinese coach, who represented his national team for nearly ten years, in which spell he figured in two Asian Games as well, 1994 and 1998. As a forward, he also neeted 27 goals in his decade long service to the national team.

“I also learnt personally much in the home Olympics, being one of the deputy coaches, and it is time for our young team to play in tough matches and learn as much as possible before the Asian Games, because we have to have a reasonable build up, and that is what we need right now”, he put the team’s needs in perspective.

There are six players in the Chinese team whose individual cap is below 20 matches, while seven players have played more than 100 matches. The side though is not as young as the coach would like us to believe.

Because, India also plays equally an young team here, with the same number of players as that of China having less than 20 caps. Further, India has two players who are making debut here while for China’s a lone debutant in E. Liguang.

Though Zhauang is modest in his opinion on the eve of both sides meeting tomorrow, the record shows the Chinese are the latest thorn in the Indian flesh. They upset the applecart of India in two major tournaments in the last three years – 1006 Asian Games and 2009 Asia Cup. India lost the former and could only draw the latter at Kuantan. With these defeats, India finished medal-less in both events for the first time in their history.

So, it won’t be just learning experience tomorrow, and it remains to be interesting who are going to end up on the learning side.

Last Five India – China Encounters

18th Dec 2009: India and China met in the Champions Challenge Cup league match. It was a smooth ride for Rajpal Singh’s team. Prabhjot Singh scored thefirst goal, followed in that order by Sarwanjit Singh, Shivender Singh and the by the captain himself.

12th May 2009: India and China met in the Asia Cup at Kuantan, Malaysia. It appeared a smooth ride for India when it led 2-0 at half time, courtesy a brace of goals by Sandeep Singh. However, China neutralized both the goals and drew the contest. By virtue of this draw China could make it to the semis as it had earlier drew Pakisan to whom India lost. It was a three-team pool and thus India was out of the medal’s round for the first time in this genre of competition.

1st May 2008: India and China met in Darwin 4-Nation Cup, Australia. This 4-Nation Cup was first international engagement for India after failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. In this high scoring match, China again proved its mettle.

28th April 2008: India and China met in the Perth 4-Nation Cup, Australia. India defeated China 3-1 in the league match before losing the bronze medal match to Korea. Both the Asian countries were preparing for the Olympics.

31st August 2007: India and China met in the Asia Cup, Chennai, India. This match was the tournament opener for both at Chennai. India started the campaign well, handing out a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Chinese.

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