After an extended period of lull, Indian women hockey has finally started off from the block. An 18-member team, led by the most experienced of the lot — Surajlata Devi — left for Moscow from Delhi on the wee hours of Tuesday, to engage Russia in friendly matches. After finished last in the last Asian Games, the reigning Commonwealth Games champions hardly engaged themselves in any sporting activity.

Chief coach M.K. Kaushik, who returns to women hockey after a gap of eight years, sounded caution on the eve of departure, “Don’t expect miracle. It will take time for me to settle down, understand all aspects of these girls’ game and equally they will also need adequate time to adjust to my scheme of things”.

Kaushik trained women hockey team from 1991 to 1994 till he tendered resignation in the wake of his team’s failure to obtain any medal in the 1994 Asian Games. Then in 1998, Kaushik teamed up with Mir Ranjan Negi, who is also assisting him now in his second avatar, got India the elusive Asiad gold at Bangkok. Five years since the epoch making gold in 32 years, he has been actively involved in his employer Haryana laying synthetic surface in two hockey centers – Gurgaon and Shahbad.

Except Surajlata Devi, whom Kaushik preferred over Donito D’Mellow for the 1993 Asia Cup, Kaushik is new to all other girls in the present team. Some of his finds like Pritamrani Siwach, Sita Gussain and goalie Tingonleima Chanu are notable absentees. It is gathered that Sita and Tingu are on motherhood while the exclusion of Pritam remains an unexplained mystery. Amandeep Kaur and Manjinder Kaur, who were in the Commonwealth and Asian Games’ teams, were not invited for the camp by the whimsical IWHF.

As if taking a cue from the senior men’s side, which is creating waves in the world of hockey, at least as of now, the Moscow bound team too has many faces from the Buenos Aires’ Junior World Cup team, which failed to reach the Championship Round done in by a single goal deficit in the preliminaries. However, two from the exciting side, Sanggai Ihembal Chanu and Mamta Kharab, who won many hearts, were deservedly nominated for the 2001 FIH Young Player of the Year (This award ultimately went to medio Anjie Skirving of Australia).

Notable among the colts of Bunos Aires team who are now in the Moscow sojourn, are Pushpa Pradhan, Manju Phafwal, Adline Kerketta and Annarita Kerketta. The good news is the return of both Surinder Kaur and Neha Singh, stars of their own right but were in and out of teams due to recurring injuries.

Surinder is believed to be half-fit even now after she underwent knee surgery in the last August and has not recovered fully. Expectedly therefore the burden of scoring lies on the prowess of Sanggai.

It is gathered that the Moscow tour has been decided unilaterally by the Federation without giving due weightage to the preparedness of the team and the willingness of the trainers.

Said one observer, “The girls were idle for whole of the year. Even the Nationals was not held in time. Just a month’s camp is not sufficient to make them fit for international combat. The girls are unfit physically, yet to forge required level of understanding.”

India will play first of its four matches on Thursday (10th July) and will return to Delhi on 16th July.

Veteran player Md. Shahid, Junior India coach Harendera and Under-21 men’s team trainer Saju Joseph met Kaushik on his chamber before the team left for the tour and wished him success.

K. Arumugam