We need to improve a lot: Kaushik

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: “A lot of improvement is needed,” said the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, M.K. Kaushik, on Tuesday as he assessed the performance of the team during the recent South American tour from January 18 to 31.

The team, originally scheduled to play a four-nation tournament in Santiago (Chile), eventually settled for a four-match series against Chile as the tournament was cancelled. It went on to play a three-match series against Argentina in Buenos Aires next before returning home last Sunday.

The Santiago tournament was expected to have Argentina and Italy, apart from India and Chile.

Kaushik said that the team won three matches against Chile — ranked 17th in the world against India’s 14th — 3-0, 3-1 and 5-1 while one was drawn goalless.

Against Argentina, the team drew goalless, lost 2-3 and then won 2-1. Kaushik said Argentina, ranked No. 2 in the world, had fielded its National team. Chanchan Devi was the top-scorer during the tour with five goals.

Not happy

Kaushik was not happy with the penalty-corner conversion rate and said that the department needed considerable improvement. Pushpa Pradhan was the main penalty-corner specialist.

“It was a learning experience for the newcomers (Satyawati, Poonam Rani and Monica) and we tried out several combinations,” said Kaushik.

With the National championship, scheduled at Ranchi from February 16, now postponed, the team would be looking for an earliest camp, said the coach.

Kaushik said he had requested the federation to arrange a tour of Japan and South Korea in March-April. A four-nation tournament was also scheduled in Jalandhar in April.