Foreign consultants to aid hockey campers

BANGALORE: The Indian hockey team will train under foreign experts to fine-tune its skills as it prepares for the qualifiers and beyond. The experts, who are likely to be finalized by chief coach Michael Nobbs, will also train the coaches during their brief stint at the camps.

The team is looking for specialists in goalkeeping, drag-flicking and penalty corners, deep defence, midfield and shooting. All these experts will be hired as consultants for 15-20 days whenever the need arises. Sports Authority of India has already approved the move, Hockey India director of coaching and camp in charge SS Grewal said.

The Indian coaches currently attached to the camp too will come under the specialists’ fold so that they pick up the nuances of the game.

“Take for example, Jugraj Singh, who is here as the penalty corner coach. He has been a great drag-flicker and constantly learning as a coach. Expert guidance will only make him a better coach,” Grewal said.

Nobbs endorsed the move and said that for starters, India needed a sports psychologist as soon as possible. “We need to work on that area soon,” he told TOI from Perth.

The 48 probables, chosen after trials last week, have been divided into two groups and will concentrate on speed endurance, agility and other aspects of physical fitness for the next two weeks. Exercise physiologist David John has busy days ahead as he conducts tests on the players, analyses their videos every evening and gets down to rectifying their errors, whether they be in running, positioning or footwork.

“It will be all about physical fitness now because we won’t get much time in the coming months. We have tournaments to prepare for,” Grewal said.

The number to train under the chief coach may be reduced to around 25-30 by the next camp. “We will choose the best 25-30 from the 48 and put them directly under Nobbs. He is looking at a smaller number so that he can get to see all of them in action in the tournaments ahead of the Olympic qualifiers,” Grewal said.

“We have selected around 18 more for the development team and the remainder from the 48 will join them. Ideally, they should be training in Bangalore along with the senior team. We are trying to get the clearance for that,” Grewal said.

The 18-member team for the Asian Champions Trophy will be finalized by the third week of August. The team leaves on August 28 for the tournament which begins at Ordos, China from September 3.