The women find their own Sandeep Singh

The Lucknow SAI centre, a 30-minute drive from the station, is a fine, 52-acre property. One of the newest sports infrastructures of the city — it is situated on the outskirts of the state capital near the airport.

The Lucknow SAI centre, a 30-minute drive from the station, is a fine, 52-acre property. One of the newest sports infrastructures of the city — it is situated on the outskirts of the state capital near the airport.

As you enter the campus area you realise that apart from the occasional flights taking off nearby it’s pretty much peaceful, even in the evening when the centre is bursting with trainees.

The past couple of weeks has seen the centre host the national senior women campers who are preparing for the Asia hockey Cup in Hong Kong.

And today they are trying something new — match simulations.

Story continues below this ad

“We have looked at the tapes of some of the teams that are participating in Hong Kong, but we are particularly focused on Japan, China and Korea,” said IS Gill, who was coach of the women’s team at the Manchester Games in 2002. He, along with G.S. Bhangu, have been recalled because of Kaushik’s and Subbaiah’s (coaches) sudden departure.

However, that’s just one part of the camp, the one thing that all the coaches have been focused on is of having a full time drag-flicker.

Though they have Suman Bala taking the penalty corners for the team, they are concentrating more on grooming Jasjeet Kaur as their next Sandeep Singh, so to say.

“That was the first problem we wanted to solve, and though it is still far from solved, we have found an interim answer,” said Gill. He points towards Jasjeet who is busy dragging the balls into the post.

Story continues below this ad

Gill mentioned that he found the girl to have just the right stuff for her to be the team’s drag flicker. “She has good wrists and is also very strong. We are having her hit 50 to 100 balls a day, and also teaching her the basics. She may not be fully ready before the tournament in September but with the right amount of training she will be ready by the time the qualifiers start,” said Gill.

Jasjeet is 18 years old, and a student from Shahabad Markanda in Haryana. She earned a permanent place among the hockey stars with that one stunning goal in the final against Japan in the National Stadium back in 2004.

Jasjeet took to hockey at the age of 10 and honed her skill at the SGMD Girls High School ground near Ambala. She is from the academy in Shahabad Markanda which boasts names like Surinder Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur and Suman Bala.

She was first inducted into the national camp in Patiala in 2000 and ever since, this youngest member of the team has been a ‘regular’. Jasjeet is tall, has strength, speed and skill. She has comes up with timely goals in many championships.