With Australia beating Arentina 8-2 we are once again in the medal hunt. This is not the best way — the back door — but we get another chance to beat Pakistan.

We beat them in the league last year and lost in the 3-4 placings match in Cologne. sunday will give us the chance to get even. Of course, I’m worried about the injuries to Baljit Saini and Ignace Tirkey as that will affect the team’s midfield play.

Still, my boys will take field all guns blazing.

Friday’s win over Pakistan was a great win, a historic match. We have not lost to Pakistan in Amsterdam in 30 years and we kept the slate clean, and how!

The fans here would not leave us alone. There were so many invitations for dinner at different Indian restaurants. I was reminded of the time we beat Pakistan at the same ground twenty years ago. I had scored four goals in that 5-4 win.

But Friday’s 7-4 win has given me more satisfaction. Seven goals against Pakista is a record and the fact that the boys hit back from a difficult situation gives me a lot of hope for future.
After two poor games we were being talked about as a hopeless side. We proved that we can play as a team and can fight our way out of a difficult situation.

I’m sure the fans will have more trust in us and be patient.
I would give the whole team credit for the win but my hero of the match was Jugraj Singh. He is a very brave boy. The way he charged out to block Sohail Abbas’ flicks was amazing. He is never worried about getting hurt. Every coach wants a gutsy player like him. I wanted him to at least get a hat-trick. Unfortunately, he missed it.

As a drag flicker I would rate Jugraj above even Sohail today. I tried him as a right half, which is his natural side and he played well. However, I always feel that players should be able to play well on both sides and should adapt to situations.

Yes, it was a very satisfying win for me as a coach. The boys were depressed after the loss against Argentina and it was not easy motivating them for the big game.

I would like to make it clear that some former India players here are trying to create a rift in the team. They are talking regularly to the players and are making things difficult for me as a coach.

Their interference in the team affairs has in many ways affected the morale of the boys. The boys’ motivation level has also suffered because of all this. In fact, KPS Gill, the IHF president, spoke to all the boys before the Pakistan boys and told them that he has immense faith in their abilities. That helped a lot.

Coming back to the match, an India-Pakistan encounter is always a tough, tense affair. It was not a flawless game. We made quite a few mistakes and again missed atleast three-four chances. Prabhjot missed two sitters while Gagan and Pillay missed one each. But that did not cost us much in the end as the Pakistanis were demoralised after the fifth goal.

I will once again say that we have to work hard on a lot of areas in the coming year, especially in the midfield. We are moving in the right direction and this bunch of talented boys are going to surprise quite a few teams in the coming months.
ends