From gloom to glory

The Indian under-21 hockey squad were a depressed lot when they were forced to return from the Wagah border. But it is to their credit that they did not allow the disappointment of not being able to tour Pakistan to get the better of their spirits.

Full of enthusiasm, they took part in the Jawaharlal Nehru tournament at Gurgaon and in the end rejoiced with the coveted trophy.

The opposition they overcame on their path to final glory was of the highest quality and speaks well of coach AK Bansal.

Technical official Kuku Walia singled out defender Diwakar and forward Pramod Kumar for special praise.

Their progress has to be maintained as the team prepares for its tests on a higher platform in the coming days.