With the national hockey team holding their first training session after Salta’s Champions Challenge at Balewadi on Wednesday, it was a chance for coach Harinder Singh to look back at the bronze-winning show.

According to Harinder, the team had a solid performance until the semi-finals, where they crumbled under pressure against an experienced Pakistan outfit. “We were great in the round-robin stages, but in the semis we conceded an early goal and lost our nerve and the match,” he said.

After being embroiled in the controversy over the supposed rift between chief coach Jose Brasa and some senior players, Harinder described the tour as being a successful one, and one where a lot of changes in technique were undertaken. “Prior to the tour, we had been focusing on our one-touch play and first-time passing. I was glad to see that the players implemented this technique in the tournament,” he said.

There were a few things he was unhappy about though. “In the Pakistan game, we were playing the game at too fast a place at some times. We have to learn how to get out of pressure situations by passing the ball into defence. We have to also learn about how to react under pressure especially when emotions run high as in the Pakistan game.”

Harinder also denied that the team missed out on the experience of the absent players. “We have a strong set of players and our focus is on them,” he said.

Cup watch

The coach is also looking ahead to the World Cup at home. “With 12 of the world’s best teams participating, any one can run away with the Cup. We are not going to look too far ahead and take one match at a time, but I must admit, the opening encounter against Pakistan is something I can’t wait for,” he said.