This is just the first step: Harendra

Devadyuti Das

New Delhi

April 12: The national hockey team put a string of recent disappointments behind them to put up a sterling performance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup as they defeated hosts Malaysia 3-1 to win the title after a gap of 13 years. Coach Harendra Singh was a delighted man after the victory and gave tjhe credit for the victory to the entire team.

Speaking to this newspaper from Ipoh, Malaysia, after India’s win, Harendra said that this was only the ‘first step’ for the team and felt they still had a long way to go. Excerpts:

On the Azlan Shah win: Last time we lost in the semifinals here but this time I knew the team had the capability to win the gold medal. The team is a wonderful blend of youth and experience. I had the confidence in the team and the coaching staff.

I never had any doubts about the potential of the team but this is only the first step for us.

On Sandeep’s performance: Firstly I would like to say that a tournament cannot be won by one person alone. The victory was a team-effort as all the boys supported Sanddep very well.

On backing Sandeep as captain: I backed Sandeep to be the captain of the team because I knew about his potential. I have been saying this for the last one year that he is not a match-winner but a tournament-winner.

On Dhanraj as manager: I would like to salute this player. He won the Azlan Shah trophy as a player, and now he has done it as a manager of the team. He has been actively involved in team meetings and has been great help to me in formulating strategies and motivating the boys. It’s a great help to have a friend like him around me.

On his future goals: My first goal will be to play in the Asia Cup final and then win it. A win there would help us climb to seventh in the ranking. Then I would like to win the Champion’s Challenge in December and that will help us reach No. 6.

After that next year, I would like to win the World Cup and then aim for a gold in the Commonwealth Games.

On Dilip Tirkey: The team decided to dedicate the trophy to Dilip Tirkey for creating a world-record for the maximum international appearances.

We would also like to dedicate the trophy to S.V. Sunil, who lost his father mid-way through the tournament but still stuck around with the team. He displayed all the qualities of an armyman.