IHF, now sets sights on 2008 Games

New Delhi, October 6: Having learnt its lesson from the disappointing performance in the just concluded Sydney Olympic Games, the Indian H...

New Delhi, October 6: Having learnt its lesson from the disappointing performance in the just concluded Sydney Olympic Games, the Indian Hockey Federation is preparing itself for the 2008 Games.

“We have to ensure that all concerned players, officials and administrators get over the disappointment of Sydney and return to training for the 2008 Olympic Games,” IHF President KPS Gill said here on Friday.

“I am not a believer in luck – good or bad. We have to consolidate the gains that we made in Sydney and remove the defects that still remain,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

Gill said “Where we lost out was not in training but at playing atleast four matches in peak condition. We have played only two and a half at that level”.

According to him, the team suffered from five major failings before going to Australia. They were: Conceding a goal in the very first or second minute; allowing an equaliser to be scored in the dying minutes; poor goal keeping; poor execution of penalty corners and killer instinct in the rivals’ 25-yard area.

Gill said the team improved in atleast three areas namely not allowing a goal to be scored in the opening minutes, goal keeping and conversion of penalty corners.

He said the defence of penalty corners was excellent at Sydney with the Indian team saving 91 per cent of the shots taken against More than a psychologist, the IHF chief saw the need for expert with science background for attending to the needs of players’ in special circustances like in case of rain, what type of stick to use and what shirts and shoes to wear so that they play well with minimum of discomfort.

Story continues below this ad

“You need a psychologist only when you are not able to play in peak form over a sustained period of time,” he said.

Gill said earlier the team had a mindset that did not think of a gold medal. “Now they have it because they have begun to have confidence in themselves once again.”

Whatever the result at Sydney, Gill said “The greatest gain has been the realisation, not only in India but in the whole hockey playing world, that we have an excellent team”.

He did not rule out the dropping of some players who were getting on in years and some others who had slowed down, and referring to some good players in the junior team, added “We are in a very happy situation with replacements there”.

Story continues below this ad

There, however, will be no change in the coach and Vasudevan Baskaran will continue in that post, the IHF chief said.

About the appointment of a foreign coach, he said, he was awaiting a panel of names from the international hockey federation (FIH) and “once we receive it, we will pick one person”.