Women’s hockey team all geared up for another assignment

Y. B. SARANGI

The Indian women’s hockey team’s track record may have been decent so far in the Commonwealth Games but presently it has to set a realistic goal while taking on some top sides of the world at the mega event starting here on October 3.

In contrast to the dismal showing of the men’s team in the Games, the women’s side had won the gold medal in the 2002 (in Manchester) and the silver in 2006 (in Melbourne) editions.

However, the coach in-charge, Sandeep Somesh, does not get excited by seeing the track record.

“We cannot go by what had happened. We have to realise that three teams — England (third), Australia (fifth) and New Zealand (seventh) — were ranked above us in the World Cup (in Rosario, Argentina). We have to give our best,” Somesh told The Hindu on Saturday. The recent change of guard meant that Somesh and three more coaches took over the responsibility nearly a month back.

Soon, the side had tough tasks in front of them with the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games lined up one after another.

“Time has been too short to get together and prepare. Still, we are all working towards that. After all, team building happens over a period of time. The bottom line is the players have to implement what we tell them to do,” Somesh said.

“The World Cup was a high-intensity tour and we have two more tough assignments ahead. But the girls have been up to it. Finishing ninth in the World Cup (the best finish in the World Cup since achieving the seventh place in 1978) was pretty decent since we had not won a pool game in the earlier editions,” Somesh said.

He was particularly happy that the team fought back to beat Japan after three big defeats.

Somesh said the players were being put through low-intensity training sessions as they were a little tired after the big assignment in Rosario.

However, he hoped that the players would iron out the flaws in the defence and would give their best before the home crowd. “Playing in your country has its advantages as well as pressure,” he said.