Sandeep eyes World Cup win and CWG gold
By Sandeep Narayan in New Delhi
Indian captain wants team to start winning again
ONE unequivocal fact about Sandeep Singh that everyone should accept is that the fullback is currently one of India’s best penalty corner specialists.
That said, it should not deter anyone from wondering why, with so many senior contenders in the side, was he picked as India’s new hockey captain.
The glaring fact is that he was current coach Harendra Singh’s protege and if there is one absolute rule in Indian hockey, it is that the coach is always right till the day he is removed.
“ I know the team has many senior players but I don’t see any problems erupting from my appointment. The news of me being picked as captain didn’t surprise me because my only aim is to score as many goals I can,” Sandeep told M AIL T ODAY from his hotel room in Delhi.
“ Everyone is happy. There is no junior- senior thing in our team.
We play like a family, as a unit and our aim is to make India win,” he said.
A career graph boasting of more lows than highs, Sandeep is probably the only player in history to be kept out at a time the federation’s president, KPS Gill, repeatedly hailed his talent.
Fortunately, bad times seem to be behind the Air India drag flicker, who was never even considered a ‘ proper’ player by former coach Joaquim Caravalho.
“ I never had any problems with any coach and for me all coaches are the same. Whatever the reasons for my absence from the team in those times, I hold no grudges,” he added.
He’s not known for his conciliatory skills, but this time Sandeep preferred to take the higher road when asked about the disparities shown by Caravalho during the final days of the Gill regime.
“ A lot of players were shown the door before their time in those years, but right now my job and the job of every member of the team is to see that we do well in Argentina and the tournaments thereafter.” India’s last long- serving captain was Dilip Tirkey, who was known more for his talent and was rarely celebrated as a leader.
His timid and soft approach to the game was probably one of the reasons that the ad hoc committee were looking for a fresh face.
In cricket we’ve seen that young and brave captains with little experience and a whole lot of spunk have done well for their respective countries.
“ I don’t know how I will succeed as captain but this time it will be more about teamwork and less about one person. I will always welcome any ideas from my teammates especially if it will be for the team’s betterment,” stated Sandeep.
“ Getting into the winning groove is important and we would like to start from the Argentina series and follow it up with the four- nation tournament.
This will help us in the future as our focus will be to win the major tournaments ahead, including next year’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games,” he added.
The mentally tough Sandeep has come a long way in his career after receiving a severe jolt in August 2006 when he received a bullet injury in his back in an accidental fire while travelling to Chandigarh on a train.
Indian hockey is at crossroads at the moment and while many faces may have frowned at Sandeep’s appointment, it may well be the change the sport so desperately seeks.