Under-18 Asia Cup: India in the fray, Bansal coach

Competition does not stop for Indian hockey. Indian men just came from a very successful Canada tour; women did well at the Asia Cup. Now the Under-18 team is ready for its Asia Cup, which is beginning at Myanmar today, the 11th November.

There were controversies about the overage issue during the trials, but now, leaving everything behind, the teenage Indian team is all geared up to defend its title. India won the last U-18 Asia Cup that happened in 2001.

Team is totally new; almost all the players will be boarding the plane for the first time in life on 8th, and will reach Myanmar on 9th via Kolkata.

But this team has one continuity – Ajay Kumar Bansal –as coach of the U-18 Indian team.

The coach of the successful Junior Asia Cup (Under-21) is not new to competitive hockey, both international and domestic circuits.

So, he is expected to deliver at Myanmar. He however, asks us to wait and watch. “See it’s a new team. No player has got the exposure of playing at the international level so far. So, it’s tough for them, pressure will be very high” says Bansal.

He refuses to make any promise this time because he didn’t get ample time to spend with the boys. When asked about the planning, he stresses on wait-and-watch policy yet again. “All the teams will be new to each other. No one has seen the other players much except Pakistan, which toured Malaysia before this event. So, we will not go all out, but will try to find out the other teams’ policy first, and then we will make our plans” reveals Bansal.

“We will reach there on 9th and our first match is on 11th. So in the mean time, we will try to arrange practice matches, if possible, and also, we will keep an eye on the other matches as well” he adds.

Pressure will be there on the Indian team, being a veteran coach, he is expected to have some tricks in the arena.

Once during the 2008 Azlan Shah Cup, when the team’s morale was down because of their below average performance, coach Bansal took the team to a beach instead of making them work hard in practice session. This worked wonders, the team was in the finals.

Will something similar happen this time as well? Bansal smiles, “Again, I am not making any promise. Yes, in Azlan Shah, team had plenty of inexperienced players and we managed to do well, but this time….let’s see! All I can say is that we will try to give our best, and I have a few players who are really confident and can do better in the future at higher levels.”

And who are they? “Manpreet Singh, captain of the team, plays well. There is guy Omi, from Uttar Pradesh, Aman Quershi, Chandan Singh- they all play well. We have a very good full back as Amit, who by chance, belongs to Dilip Tirkey’s village. They all are very confident players, and though we are in a tough group with Pakistan and Malaysia in the same pool, but will give our hundred percent” tells confident Bansal.

“Look, I am aiming for future. This team will tell us about the real mettle of the young lot and then we will have plenty of time to train them and now with the overage issue almost resolved, I am very hopeful that we are moving in the right direction for the betterment of the Indian hockey” he concludes.

The team:

Goalkeepers

P. Naveen Kumar
Upraj Singh

Full Backs

Amit Rohidas
Chandan Singh
Love Deep Singh

Midfielders

Sushil Xalxo
Barkat Singh
Manpreet Singh (Captain)
Manmeet Raj Singhv
Bachiter Singh
Devender Sunil Walmiki

Forwards

Arman Qureshi
Gurjant Singh
Naveen Sangwan
Sukhdev Singh
Talwinder Singh
Gunasekhar
Pramod Venkatramana

India are the defending champions of this tournament which was last played in 2001.
The winner of this edition will qualify for the Youth Olympic Games to be held at Singapore in 2010.

India is drawn in Group A with Pakistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei.

India’s Pool matches are as under :


13 Nov. vs Sri Lanka
14 Nov. vs Malaysia
16 Nov. vs Pakistan
17 Nov. vs Chinese Taipei

Note: We have erroneouly mentioned cancellation of this tournament for which we apologise, the news then was the Thailand team pulled out.