The competitive atmosphere is very important
On the eve of Under-21 team’s departure to Australia to take part in the Australian Youth Olympics, coach AK Bansal gives importance to the competitive atmosphere expected Sydney rather than mere participation.
“Indian Junior had played Argentina in the recent past, and in the beginning of the year against British and Australian teams in Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, I feel more than the competition, the atmosphere is very important in the sense that there will be many more people watching the matches in Sydney as this a multi-sport event, and a good crowd is expected”, he said a day before the team is scheduled leave for Australia.
The has left India today (Friday) morning.
Great Britain, Australia and Malaysia are in the fray, besides India
Of late, Indian women team has also agreed to take part in the event, will be flying in the two days time.
The ad-hoc committee has nearly retained the same squad that visited Argentina early last month, and the present visit is yet another effort to give the boys maximum exposure before the target tournament — Junior World Cup in June this year.
“Playing against empty stands is one thing, and performing against full stands is another”, Bansal elaborated. “My boys have to be tough and should not be over-awed by the occasion. Sydney presents them an ideal opportunity to play under heavy pressure and British and Australian teams will have the backing of the local support”.
Indian juniors last played Australia in the early 2008 in the KL Invitation tournaments. India defeated Australia in the league, before losing the final by the thinnest of margins.
Accordingly to Bansal, Australia will be eying the Gold, and British will give both India and Australia a tough time.
The tournament will take place between 14 and 18.
3 Comments
The team has the potentiality. If they won in league against Australia and lost in the finals…. Then winning in league does not count at all.. But what mattered most was loosing the finals….. which was well with in the reach and Diwakar failing in conversion of PC’s which he squandered…The coach has found competitive atmosphere only in Australia?? so when he went to Argentina… the competitive atmosphere did not exist? For that matter when you enter in to a ground the quest to play should come in…and you should not bother on what kind of atmosphere you are playing… I mean if crowd is there or not….
Normally I do not go by what media says. But I don’t think bansal has said anything wrong. I don’t know why he is targetted to such a bad comment. All coaches and players need support.
Nothing bad has been said… It is only a constructive criticism to what statement he said about ‘atmosphere of play’. These are all secondary factors to performance….Spectators may be there or not.. the team got to perform… The team could have won in Malaysia, but what happened is focussed at… It is more important to give due importance to primary performance factors rather than secondary factors… so while making statements he should give due importance to ‘Team’ and it should be reflecting well on team…For e.g. in 2001 in Hobart the team won by eating only Burgers. The players could well adapt with that situation….Wishes and support is always there…….